Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers
by bikkothewriter
Summary: Massive Revision and Update! Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it.
1. Prologue

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

Opening the door to Interrogation Room 5, Commander Yuy was greeted with a fiery green glare from Lanie Damure. Having arrested her himself, he wasn't surprised by the look nor the her strange appearance. Skin as white as fresh milk, peppered with large black spots all over her body made her look like a Dalmatian to him but she insisted that she was a snow leopard. Though Heero had never seen a snow leopard in person he was sure they were no where near as hostile as Ms. Damure. From the moment he'd seen her she'd been trouble. First resisting arrest, then clawing two officers and cussing out every officer sent in to interrogate her, Heero would have thought her a cold-blooded terrorist rather than a protest starting college grad.

"You can cut the good cop, bad cop bullshit. I don't believe for one second that anyone's died from splicing. You military pricks are just looking for ways to keep us down. And just like I told your little flunkies, I'm not telling you shit."

"Then I have no problem with charging you with aiding and abating and accessory to murder," he answered.

"That's a bullshit charge," the leopard woman snarled straining forward where she sat cuffed to the metal chair. "I didn't kill anyone and I sure as hell didn't help anyone commit murder."

"But you are helping, Ms. Damure. The longer you withhold information, the more people this man will kill and if another one dies I'm charging you with third-degree murder."

"You don't scare me. You think you can come in here and threaten me and I'll just break. Well you can go and fuck yourself." She smirked, settling back in her chair.

Heero replied by opening the slim folder he'd brought with him, drawing out seven photos. He walked behind Damure setting the pictures down across the table one by one. He felt more like a school teacher handing out tests rather than pictures of the bloody remains of teenagers.

"What the fuck is this?" She asked flinching away from the pictures.

"Photographs, Ms. Damure. These are the photographs of the few who've died in the past week from splicing," Coming to stand on the side of the table, he looked down meaningfully at the pictures, drawing Damure's gaze back to them. She quickly lifted her head, staring at the opposite wall, her black, lipless mouth set in a tight line.

In the last four months he, himself, had gotten used to seeing bodies turning up like this. Blood seeping from every orifice, collecting in a pool beneath the body, waxy disfigured faces, a mixture of pain and horror, part human, part animal. All in the name of splicing. It had started out as a trendy fad amongst high school kids, cat's eyes, scales and horns, and had been harmless up until Vince Kursaw committed murder using his newly adapted claws to kill a school rival. After that, parents wanted their children back to normal, but a side effect of the splicing was increased aggression and suddenly there were more deaths on their hands as many fought back, refusing to be purely human. When the local governments couldn't handle the world and colony-wide scale challenge to control splicers, outlaw, and shut down all splicing the matter had been turned over to the Preventors.

"And what does that have to do with me?"

"Do you see it Ms. Damure?

"See what?"

"The mark on the side of their neck." He tapped his finger against the picture and watched her struggle, gulping down air before she forced her gaze down again. The mark was the very same that Ms. Damure had on the side of her neck. The injection site for the splicing recombinant, a livid red that stood out like a beacon against her white skin screaming infection.

"That doesn't mean anything," she said breathless.

Straightening his tie, Heero sat across from the woman, noting the wide green eyes made striking by the thick black lines surrounding her lids better than any mascara.

"Do you know how Splicing is done, Ms. Damure?"

"I know."

"Then you understand that your DNA must be broken down for the animal DNA to attach itself and create a new hybrid DNA strand."

"I know that, I was there."

"What you may not know Ms. Damure, is that the man who gave you your injection has given you and others a spoiled batch of recombinant. Your DNA begins to refuse the new DNA, breaking down. And as your DNA breaks down your body begins to break down."

"So what? Hm?" she replied trying to gain back some of her cockiness. "Are my arms gonna fall off?"

"No," he replied, watching her smile widen with relief, before continuing, "Your internal organs will shut down long before you lose any limbs."

"That's not true. You're just trying to scare me."

"Do you think I came here to scare you, when there are people out there who need my help. People I can save before there bodies begin to breakdown, before their organs shut down and they start to choke on their own blood. Trust me, Ms. Damure I have better things to do with my time then try and scare you." His voice was cold and unflinching as his dark blue glare bored into the leopard-woman.

"I-is that what happened to them?" she asked motioning towards the photos.

He nodded.

"Oh God! A-am I going to die?"

"Maybe," he shrugged as if her death meant nothing to him.

"Maybe? Maybe? What do you mean maybe? You can't just let me die! It's your job to help me! You have to do something! You have to help me. "

"You're an accessory to murder Ms. Damure, a criminal, I don't have to help you."

"But I didn't do anything!"

"You're refusing to give me information Ms. Damure. Right now your friends could be dying because you won't give me a name, a location. And if they die I'm putting their deaths on you."

"I don't know his name. He was just some old guy with glasses. A friend of mine said we could meet him at 44th street, in the back of the nail shop. He said it was safe, that the government just wanted to keep us from expressing ourselves. I didn't know anything about this."

"You're lying to me, Ms. Damure."

"I'm not! He told us to call him Dr. M, that we couldn't know his real name because you guys would come and shut him down. I didn't know that he was killing people! This shit...this shit is supposed to be harmless!" She was fairly screeching by the time she finished, her face a mottled red, chest heaving. "Please, please tell me you can fix this, please, I don't want to end up like them."

"Then tell me everything you know."

Looking at the pictures on the table below her, Heero watched whatever little fight Lanie Damure had left inside of her die with a sigh.

"Okay."


	2. One

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

Chapter 1

Pepper Daniels lived in one of the more rundown apartment complexes on the east side of L1. The building was faux red brick and yellowing stucco, made to look like one of the many brownstones found on Earth. Police, Preventors and medical personnel littered the stairs leading to the main entrance, while curious neighbors from the other buildings stood along the sidewalk behind yellow caution tape. There were always too many people at crime scenes and one in particular that Heero could do without seeing.

"Glad to see you could make the party, Commander," Lieutenant Denvers sneered.

Heero sidestepped the cigarette butt flicked in his direction giving the lieutenant the glare she deserved. Heero wasn't prone to entertaining thoughts of homicide but as of late

Patricia Denvers had starred in many a dark fantasy that involved his hands wrapped around her neck. While no police officer wanted to hand over their case to another government agency, Denvers seemed to take the instance personally. She made it a point to be at every scene to watch Heero and his team like a hawk. Unfortunately not a quiet hawk.

"Your people are upstairs mucking up my crime scene while you've been out drinking coffee, twiddling your thumbs."

Heero took offense; he did not twiddle. He also had not been out drinking coffee. Visiting terminal patients, assuring them that the man that put them in their precarious position would be stopped happened to be more productive.

"I drink tea, Lieutenant."

"I don't give a fuck what you drink," she snarled bearing down on Heero. Two inches taller than him, with hard brown eyes, she poked him in the chest hard enough that he was surprised that her finger didn't pierce his chest or snap in half… "You've got unsupervised people up there."

"Unsupervised, Lieutenant? With you watching over their shoulders?"

Heero thought the woman had both the drive and tenacity to one day become Chief of Police, but her temper and her hate of anyone having more power than her would always keep her back. She looked the part in a smart, dark blue pants suit her dark hair pulled back in a tidy bun, but up close where he could smell the nicotine on her breath, could see the barely concealed rage in her eyes he knew it would never happen. He would have felt pity for the woman if he didn't hate her and every word that came out of her mouth.

"All you Preventor jack-offs think you're hot shit. I could have solved this case weeks ago."

"Then solve it, Lieutenant. Tell us where we can find Dr M and you can be rid of us. Until then, get out of my way."

He walked wide around her, not sinking to her level by ramming his shoulder into hers to push her out of the way, although it would have been satisfying to knock her to the ground. He climbed the stairs ignoring the many glares from the local police force making his way to apartment 3A. Outside the door, one of the many extra personnel handed him a pair of blue booties to slip over his shoes before entering the room.

At first glance, Heero could tell that Pepper was what one would call eclectic. Baby blue armchairs, a green and blue paisley couch, metal end tables, and an antique wood coffee table decorated the small apartment. What looked like velvet drapes were opened wide to let the artificial sunlight filter into the room illuminating the dust motes in the air. This should have been the living room of a bright and quirky girl who sang off-key and danced around in her underwear. Instead, the room held the dead body of said girl along with several uniformed officers and the district's coroner.

She lay wrapped in a pink sheet on the floor as if she had rolled over in her sleep and fallen off the couch. Blood had seeped from her lips to congeal in a puddle on the floor underneath her head. The fingernails of her outstretched hand were dark and bloody. He knew, without pulling her lids back, that her eyes were swollen with busted blood vessels and, if he were able to see behind her from his position, that the sheet was soaked in blood.

The droopy dog-ears atop her head were last to be noticed.

"She matches the description given to us by both Lanie and Emmett," Trowa said to his left, "but we haven't found any evidence that connects her to Dr. M."

Heero pulled a pair of latex gloves from a dispenser conveniently left on one of the many end tables. Flexing his fingers inside the powdered latex, he crouched down by her body gently tilting her head up to expose her neck. The doctor's signature was all but branded into her neck, dark red and infected.

"Has anyone checked her phone records?"

"I sent Taylor to collect it. Hayers and Price are out canvassing the neighbors. Gemmell is looking through the bedroom and Weber's in the kitchen," Trowa answered efficiently.

When Heero was promoted to the position of Commander and given his own handpicked team, Trowa's name was the first on his list. Calm and collected, the taller man was the perfect second.

"So, should I be calling you commander, Barton?"

Heero turned, carefully setting Pepper's head down as he did, to look at Denvers in the doorway. Again, the thought of choking her came to mind, but he contented himself with the thought that she looked foolish with booty-covered high heels. He decided to ignore her presence for the time being, turning back to Trowa.

"Time of death?"

"The coroner," he said, nodding to the older man in the corner, "puts the time around 2 a.m., less than eight hours ago."

_How convenient, _Heero thoughtthat she would die the night before they were going to question her. Two different prisoners named Pepper as the go-between for Dr M. She conducted the initial meeting, telling the interested about the doctor and his discount splicing before giving them the address to his temporary lab.

He stood, turning to the coroner, "You can take her. Make sure to run a full tox screen and get the results to me as soon as possible."

"Of course, Commander."

He moved away giving the man and his assistant, who'd been waiting outside, room to work. He didn't need nor want to watch them put her inside the black body bag , so he turned and headed towards what he assumed was the bedroom with Trowa and Denvers following.

The bedroom echoed the mismatched theme of the living room with Lucy Gemmell as the new feature. Standing before the dresser, her pale face hidden by her long red hair, Heero noted that she again had forgone her Preventor's jacket choosing to wear just the army green button down with navy tie and slacks. She was looking intently at several envelopes and she looked up at Heero with a smile.

"I think I got something," she said. "I found these under the mattress with at least a thousand dollars an envelope."

"Let's see," Heero said, holding his hand out.

"This one looks like the most recent. It hasn't been opened," she said handing over said envelope first.

Heero looked at the long white envelope and tried not to let hope rise in his chest, but he was almost praying that there were instructions inside the envelope. Some sort of note from the doctor telling Pepper the next location. Hell, at this point, he just hoped the money was from Dr M and had his fingerprints on it to give them a solid ID on the man.

He carefully peeled back the scotch tape that held the envelope closed. He could feel Trowa and Denvers anxiously peering over his shoulder. Lifting the flap, it was not the color of green money that caught his eye, but the yellow of a folded slip of paper.


	3. Two

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

Chapter 2

_334-541-0107_

A phone number.

A phone number that might connect them to Dr. M.

A phone number that could be traced to Dr M's current location.

Heero fought to contain the smile that threatened to overtake his face. Between the index and middle fingers of his gloved hand, the little yellow note gave him hope of finally making headway in his search for Dr. M.

"Barton," Heero started but the man was already on his cell phone giving his clearance codes to someone at headquarters. Heero passed the note from his gloved hand to Trowa's and watched him leave the room with no doubt that he would be able to tell Heero where the phone was made let alone its location in a matter of minutes.

He turned back to Gemmell to find the young agent beaming with pride.

"Good find Gemmell," he complimented, not against letting his team members know that he appreciated their hard work. "Get these envelopes and the money to the lab and test for DNA and fingerprints."

"Yes, sir," she said enthusiastically. She moved to the rumpled bed to her evidence kit where she pulled a clear evidence bag where all of the envelopes, including Heero's, were quickly deposited into the bag, then sealed and safely stored inside the kit. Promising to call as soon as she found anything, Gemmell followed in Trowa's wake.

"You're going to trust something that important to her? Isn't she the youngest on your team?"

"She's no younger than me or Trowa, Lieutenant," he replied turning towards the woman.

"She has the least experience then."

"I believe in each and every one of my people, Lieutenant, and I wouldn't give them more than they could handle."

"Maybe that's why you haven't solved this case yet. You've been giving all the work to your juniors rather than doing any work yourself."

"And while you're here trying to pick fights with me, where are your people? Standing around my crime scene, twiddling their thumbs maybe?"

Heero took great satisfaction in watching the woman grind her teeth.

He followed the peeved woman as she left the bedroom to tear into the three officers who stood around the living room talking to one another. Bypassing the scene, he

headed into to the kitchen to find Weber crouched down taking photos of garbage that he'd spread out on a tarp.

Yomi Weber was nothing if not meticulous. He kept his hair perfectly trimmed, his uniform pressed and starched, his evidence kit fully stocked and in order, even his evidence collecting was meticulous. Food, receipts, bills, empty take-out containers and even napkins were each separated into their own neat little piles across the tarp. Heero would have thought the man had OCD if he didn't already have his psych evaluation stored in his office.

"Hey, boss," he said at Heero's approach. It surprised Heero that for someone so thorough in his work could be so laid back and friendly.

"Weber," he called in greeting, "What do you have here?"

"Well after I looked through her purse and found nothing but a billfold, I figured she'd just cleaned it out. There're about a dozen receipts here for a Cheng-Du on Belmont, all within the last week."

"That's not far from the mall where Lanie said she met her."

"Yeah and most of the receipts are just for soda. I'm thinking this was one of her pick-up spots."

"Is there anything else?" Heero asked crouching down beside the dark-haired man to look over the piles, happy to note that there wasn't much food to have spoiled or ruined the receipts.

"No, the rest just looks like regular trash."

"Has anyone cleared the bathroom?"

"No, but I can take it. I'm just about done here."

"Good. I-" Heero started only to be interrupted by Trowa coming back into the apartment.

"Commander, we've got a lock on the phone. It's on the move."

"Let's go."

###

When he had said 'Let's go', Heero had assumed, wrongly, that he and Trowa would chase down the roaming cell phone to find Dr M at the other end of it. Instead, it found them, or more Heero, standing in a filthy dumpster behind a bar searching through vodka bottles for the phone. He had not been amused by the search, nor by Trowa's snickering.

Good news had come in an hour later in the form of Gemmell having found not only fingerprints on the envelopes but a match in IAFIS. The match was to one Trent Montgomery, a minor felon who, at the beginning of the splicing fad, had been spliced with a bull. After being detained for inciting violence at a rave, he was forced to take the splicing antidote and was let back onto the streets. Now it seemed he was working for Dr M to help further the doctor's so-called noble cause to stop the government from oppressing people's genetic choice.

Matching his credit card records to the receipts left by Pepper, his team had found that he and Pepper had frequented several places, the three main locations being Barrington Mall, the Chinese restaurant Cheng-Du, and Luna's Café. Each member of his team were paired off to stake out the locations in hopes of catching the man unawares as they knew he would be wary of going home after Pepper's death. Hayers and Price were roaming the mall, Gemmell and Weber were drinking expensive coffee, and he and Trowa were sampling Chinese food.

While this task was work, Heero found that he was enjoying himself in Trowa's company. Trowa was one of the few people that he was close to and in the last few years he had come to depend on the taller man, not just at crime scenes and on missions but in his everyday life. Many people assumed that the man was stoic and never spoke, however when he was comfortable with someone he had no problem opening up and giving his opinion.

"A cactus is not a pet, Heero. You barely have to water it to take care of it."

"Feeding something and taking it for a walk doesn't constitute a pet either."

"Having a pet means taking care of something other than yourself, giving it love and attention. You don't love the cactus and you don't give it any attention."

"I water it."

"Once a month."

"You don't have pet."

"I don't need one when I have you to look after," he said, smirking at him.

Heero glared at him, unable to refute Trowa's claim. He admitted to himself that the other man did indeed look after him as he did for Trowa. It was nothing to find Trowa in the doorway of his office after a long day and night on job with take-out in hand or for Heero to have a knock on his door at two in the morning from a tired and haggard Trowa, looking for a safe place to sleep after a nasty nightmare.

"So have you decided?" Trowa asked bringing them back to an old discussion they'd started at the beginning of the splicer case about what animal either of them would be spliced with.

"I haven't thought about it," he answered truthfully. He'd spent enough time in his life being poked by needles and injected with drugs that the urge to willing go in for anything resembling it turned him off.

"A turtle, maybe? Green is your color," Trowa joked, earning himself another glare.

"I hope the doctor who makes you a fox takes your vocal cords."

Trowa chuckled at him before answering, "It's hypothetical, although I think I would make a good fox. Cunning, crafty, and clever."

"Those are all the same thing."

He shrugged in response, smiling.

"Quatre would make a cute bunny," Heero said watching Trowa's face. He enjoyed the surprised looked that crossed his face as he pictured their blonde friend with long white ears and fluffy tail just as much as the sudden laugh.

Heero looked away from the other man at the sound of the door chime to an elderly woman with a toddler in tow. The boy bounced with excitement and the woman was hard pressed to keep her grip on him. He thought the boy looked cute in his newsboy cap that was two sizes to big for his head and baggy clothes. For a moment, he entertained the thought of having a child of his own but dismissed it as he had enough trouble remembering to water his cactus. It was as they neared the table that he got a good look at the boy's face and the smile and good mood faded from him and Trowa.

"Trowa."

"I see him."

They both watched as the pair made it to the counter. While the woman placed their order, the boy, looking at himself in the mirrored counter, danced with his reflection.

Heero could see the resemblance beginning to bud in the child's face. The high cheekbones, the wide smile, the bright eyes: Duo. He felt his heart spasm as if it couldn't decide to stop or beat faster.

Duo Maxwell. Their lost comrade. He had disappeared so suddenly. Heero had been at the head of the investigation to find him but with no note left behind, no signs of struggle at his job or his home, there was nothing to go on. After a year of searching and still three more with no sign of the longhaired man, he had been declared legally dead and the investigation closed as a cold case. Now no more than ten feet away, stood what could be Duo's son.

He pushed his chair back intent on talking to the woman, but was stopped by Trowa's restraining hand on his wrist.

"Heero," he said, his gaze flicking pointedly to the door where Trent Montgomery stood. "He's more important."

"I know," he said nodding, but his eyes were drawn back to the boy and woman who were moving to take a seat while they waited for their meal. He wondered if the woman was his grandmother or a nanny. If it was her daughter, that Duo had fathered a child with. Did she know where Duo was?

He forced himself to take a deep breath, to focus on the task. Trowa was right, Trent and his connection to Dr M were more important than the woman and the boy. For now.

Trent seemed to be enough of a regular that when the small woman behind the counter saw his pale skin, dark hair and hooded eyes, she went to the back to grab his food and place it on the counter. He paid with the same card that they had used to track him, before taking the bags and turning to leave. Once he passed them, he and Trowa stood following the man out the door.

Heero gave one last look to the boy and the old woman before helping Trowa take Trent to the ground.

###

"I'm not telling you anything."

Heero wondered, not for the first time, why everyone he interrogated felt the need to be so loud.

"I haven't asked you any questions."

Trent had gone from being human to being a bull to being human to being a snake. His pupils were slit, his tongue forked and green iridescent scales started at the top of his neck and slithered down his arms to his long thin fingers. The leather jacket he'd worn had neatly covered the scales and with it, he could pass as normal as long as he kept his tongue in his mouth and refrained from hissing.

"I want a lawyer."

"I've already called for you a court-appointed lawyer. He or she should be here any minute."

"I don't know anything."

"I haven't asked you any questions."

He sat facing Trent still in the civilian clothes he'd worn to Cheng-Du with Trowa. A white long-sleeved button down with the cuffs rolled up to his elbows over a pair of black slacks with loafers. At his back was the two-way mirror where behind it Trowa watched the both of them. To his right was the heavy steel door that led into the small room, which clicked twice before swinging open to reveal Trent's lawyer and Heero's second least favorite person.

Monica Rains was the best public defender L1 had to offer, which unfortunately meant she was always using her brilliant mind and tenacious attitude against him. Heero imagined her as a bulldog, once she got her teeth into a case she didn't let up until she'd ripped it to shreds. She was instrumental in making his case more difficult and it didn't help that she liked to gloat and often.

"Commander, I suggest you let my client go now and save yourself the trouble of pursuing this." She walked wide around the table, her high heels clicking loudly against the floor, to take a seat to Trent's right before continuing, "All you have is circumstantial evidence that you're trying to use to connect him to a known murderer."

"I'm not trying to do anything, Ms. Rains. Your client has been seen in the company of Pepper Daniels, a known associate of Dr. M. We have video footage of him handing her an envelope full of money. We have the envelope with his fingerprints all over it and the money."

"You're reaching, Commander. Associating with Pepper Daniels does not make him an accessory to murder."

"Actually it does, Ms Rains, as your client was the go-between for Pepper and Dr M."

"You don't have proof of that, Commander."

"Then maybe your client would like to explain how he was able to give her a thousand dollars when he doesn't have a job."

"Having money and no job is not a crime, Commander."

"It is when the money is obtained at the expense of other people's lives. Not only is your client an accessory before and after the fact, he's aiding and abating a murderer and he's been illegally spliced. Those are all very real crimes. "

"The splicing is a two year sentence. You're trying to charge my client with life in a penal colony for trying to make a living."

"A living that involves people dying, Ms Rains."

Rains turned to Trent, whispering in the snake-man's ear. The two shared a quiet conversation whispering back and forth between each other. Heero watched both their faces hoping for some clue as to where Rains might try to steer the conversation next. She pulled back a smile on her carefully made-up face.

"Are you willing to make a deal, Commander?"

"If your client gives me Dr M's real name and location, then I'm willing to drop all but the splicing charges," he answered, successfully keeping the excitement out of his voice.

"No," Trent said, "Not on the doctor."

"The doctor is all that I want from you," he said, frowning.

"I can't give you information on the doctor but I can tell you something else you'll want to know."

"What would that be?"

"I have information on an upcoming…Auction."

###

The number is real, it is a rejection message for when losers hit on you.


	4. Three

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

Chapter 3

Heero felt cold, as if his insides had been frozen solid. He didn't let any emotion show on his face as he stared at Trent, processing the information. Both he and Rains were looking at him expectantly for an answer but he couldn't make himself speak.

An Auction.

Trent was wrong to assume that he had information the Heero wanted. He could go to his grave never knowing about another Auction. He tried to quell the images that threatened to come to the forefront of his mind. He couldn't see that again, he couldn't live through that again. Not after the last time.

"Well, Commander? I don't think this is an opportunity you want to let pass by."

An opportunity? How could she sit there and be excited by the information?

"What do you know?" he asked looking at Trent.

"I know the date, time, location and even who's hosting it."

"But you don't get anything unless my client walks no charges and no forced antidote," Rains said, cutting in before Trent had a chance to say more.

"How soon?"

The two whispered to each other again before he answered, "This week."

He felt sick. His chair scraped across the floor as he stood, mumbling 'excuse me' as he fled the room. Trowa was there in the hallway waiting for him.

"We have to take the deal."

"I know," he said trying to calm his racing heart and keep from hyperventilating. Looking up into Trowa's pale face made him feel somewhat better. Here was someone who understood what an Auction meant, who didn't talk about it as if it were an everyday occurrence. "I need to check with Chase."

"He should be in the building."

He nodded and left the other man to watch over their suspect as he went in search of Commander Harvey Chase.

When Heero had started with the Preventors, Chase had not only been his commander but his mentor as well. Heero had connected with a man in a way he hadn't with anyone since Odin Lowe. The 6'4, blond hair, blue-eyed man had taken him under his wing and showed him that grunting and glaring at people wouldn't solve every case. He taught Heero how to deal with politicians, lawyers, and suspects and helped him learn to adjust to working with a system full of rules that Heero would have rather avoided. Without Chase, Heero didn't think he would have made it as far as he had in the Preventors.

So caught up in his own thoughts, or at least avoiding the ones dealing with the Auction, he didn't realize that he'd made it to the Commanders' meeting room until he walked in and stopped the conversation with his sudden entrance.

"Commander Yuy?" Chase questioned standing up straight from where he'd been leaning over the table going over files with the five other members of his team who sat looking at him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," he started trying to pull his mind back on task, "I have a suspect in custody in association with Dr M."

"Yeah?"

"He's asking to make a deal if we drop all the charges against him. He says he has information on an upcoming Auction."

Every eye in the room was riveted to him; some of Chase's team had even stopped mid-motion to stare at him.

"What do you know about it?" Heero continued.

"We've heard rumors about it but we haven't been able to find anything concrete," Chase looked at the table then back to Heero. "He's your only lead, isn't he?"

Heero nodded.

"Shit," the older man said with feeling. "You've got to take the deal. You know what's at stake here."

"I know. I just needed to confirm that there was some truth behind it."

Chase nodded at that rubbing the blond stubble on his chin. "Has he told you anything?"

"Only that it's sometime this week."

"Damn. Take the deal but don't let him loose until after the raid. Once we take these sickos down then set him free."

"Do you want to question him yourself?"

"No, I'll let you handle that. I'll have enough trouble trying to get a squad together in time."

"Alright."

"Heero," Chase called grabbing his shoulder before he could turn to leave the room. "You know that if we find anything that'll help your case we'll send it your way."

"I know," Heero said touched by the gesture.

"Thank you, Heero."

He made his way back to the interrogation room, heading into observation room first. Trowa stood, leaning against the window watching Rains and Trent. He looked up at Heero as he entered.

"Chase confirmed it. He asked me to take the deal."

Trowa only nodded.

"I have him right here in my hands, Trowa, and he's slipping through my fingers."

"We'll find something else, someone else."

"By the time we find them they'll be dead or Dr M will be long gone."

"I know, but we have no choice. We have to-

"-take the deal. I know but I have an idea. Trent might not be willing to give up Dr M's name and location but maybe he'll tell us something else."

"It's worth a try."

He walked out of the room after that and back into the interrogation room. Rains and Trent stopped talking to look at him. He took his place across from the two at the small table.

"So do we have a deal, Commander?"

"Not yet, Ms. Rains. I have some questions fro Mr. Montgomery first."

"Alright, Commander, ask your questions but I won't guarantee that my client will answer."

"How do you know about the Auction?"

"A guy I know works security for the guy hosting it. He told me all about it."

"Were you also apart of the Auction?"

"I'm not into that shit," Trent replied angrily.

"Where are you going with this, Commander?"

"Your client seems to have his hands in a lot of illegal activity, Ms Rains. How do I know that once we take this deal, I won't have to arrest him again?"

"'Cause I haven't done anything else! I'm not in on the Auction, I just know a guy."

"So I should assume that you weren't going to tell authorities about the Auction? You were going to pretend it wasn't happening?"

"Fuck you!"

"That's enough, Commander."

"I just want to have my facts straight. I want to know who you're asking me to let back onto the streets. Why would rollover on your friend, the auctioneer, and not your employer, the murderer?"

"Because he'd fucking kill me. I say his name and I'm dead. I give him up and I'm dead. But this? This I can give up and be okay."

"You're dead either way if he did your splicing."

"I got this done before I met him. It's why he asked me to work for him. Said he was looking for like-minded people."

"Trent don't say anything else," Rains said putting a restraining hand on his shoulder before turning to Heero. "Do we have a deal or not, Commander?"

"He tells me everything he knows about the Auction and I'll reduce the charges to illegal splicing."

"No. He talks and walks free. No charges and no antidote."

"Splicing is still illegal and the antidote is mandatory."

"There is a bill in the Senate right now to make splicing legal and the antidote a violation against human rights."

"That bill hasn't been passed yet and if I drop all the charges and he walks someone else will pick him and no amount of plea-bargaining is going to help."

Rains leaned to whisper in Trent's ear and at his nod continued, "He takes the antidote and no jail time."

"Agreed. Now," he said, turning back to Trent, pulling a pen and pad from his inner jacket pocket, "tell me what you know."

"It's going to be held at the club, In Italy. They're playing it as a private engagement party, closed to the public. It's in two nights, starts at ten."

After that, Heero recorded the names of all the players Trent knew to be a part of the auction. He had the man repeat the information twice over to see how well he had his story together.

"I have another question, Trent."

"Okay."

"What is the doctor after? Why is going through with the splicing? He must know people are dying from it."

"What does every mad scientist want? Recognition. He's got this dream about being recognized for his work; just none of them have worked out yet."

"He's using these people as part of an experiment?"

"Yeah and they pay him to do it. You've got in the news and the papers not go anywhere near the guy and people just flock to him."

"What is he trying to do? What's his dream?"

"I don't know. All I know is that he goes around saying that the world is going to take note of his great work."

"And what will you do when we let you go?"

"You don't have to answer that Trent," Rains advised, touching Trent's shoulder again.

"Now that you guys found out about me he won't use me anymore. I'm out."

Heero nodded at that, not truly believing it. He already had plans of planting surveillance around Trent to see if the doctor tried to contact him. In the meantime, he escorted Trent, with Trowa following, back to his cell telling him that he would be let out as soon as the raid took place and his information was proven true.

"What do we do now?" Trowa asked.

"We call it a night and get the team together in the morning."


	5. Four

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

Sleep had been elusive for Heero. His dreams were plagued with the sounds of choking and whimpering, steel bars closing in around him, and blood pooling at his feet.

He lay in bed staring up at the ceiling letting the last vestiges of the dream slip from his mind as he thought about mundane things he needed to get done like dry-cleaning and groceries. After a few moments, he was calm enough to start the day, rolling out of bed and heading to the bathroom. While he relieved himself and set to wash his face, he thought that in moments like these a pet would be nice, something alive and breathing to hold close to his chest when the memories were overwhelming. Maybe a cat.

He dressed in sweats and left his apartment to start his morning jog. The neighborhood he lived in was located in the northeast quadrant of the colony in the business district. As he ran the sidewalks, he looked into darkened storefronts letting his thoughts wonder. The case stood at the forefront of his mind, as he thought of ways around the lack of linking evidence or living suspects that were willing to talk. He hoped that the new motive might lead the team to come up with new ideas.

So caught up in his thoughts and the knowledge that that there were usually no children out at this time of morning, he almost tripped over the boy in his path as he rounded the corner. He quickly caught himself and the boy with his hands on his shoulders. He looked into the chagrined face of the boy from Cheng-Du.

"Oopsie," the boy said, smiling up at Heero.

There was no mistaking the resemblance now that he had the boy right there in front of him. He knelt, peering into the small child's indigo eyes as he brushed his fingers across his cheek.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm okay," he said adjusting the familiar cap on his head. "What's your name?"

"Heero. What's your name?"

"My Nana calls me Kitten," 'Kitten' said smiling up at him.

"Kitten?"

"Yep," he said nodding. "Where are you running?"

"Nowhere."

"Why are you going nowhere?"

Heero smiled, shaking his head before clarifying, "I'm exercising."

"Why are you exercising?"

"To stay in shape."

"What shape?" he asked tilting his head to the side. Heero couldn't help but laugh at both the question and the cute expression on his face. He opened his mouth to try to explain what he meant when he heard 'Kitten's' name being called. He looked up just as the small boy's Nana turned the corner coming into view. She glared upon seeing Heero and quickly came up beside them.

"There you are. I told you not to run off," she scolded grabbing the boy's wrist to pull him away. Heero stood quickly, not wanting to miss an opportunity to talk to the woman.

"Ma'am, my name is Heero Yuy and I was wondering if you would mind answering a few questions."

"I have absolutely nothing to say to you, Mr. Yuy and I'd appreciate it if you'd leave my child alone."

"If you'd just give me a minute of your time, ma'am, I-"

"We need to be going, I don't have time to talk to the likes of you," she said glaring at him.

"I just want to know who his father is," he blurted out indelicately.

"That is none of your business. Now if you'll excuse us," she said sharply pushing past Heero, tugging the boy along with her.

Heero watched them go, not attempting to approach the woman again. It wasn't sure if he should be offended that she thought him some strange pervert or suspicious that she had reacted so strongly. The boy turned around his wrist still caught in her grip to wave at Heero, smiling widely.

"Bye, Mr. Heero!"

He smiled and waved back. He decided that he would get to the bottom of this little mystery soon enough.

###

Heero leaned against the window of his team's conference room watching people walk back and forth across the plaza. He still had the confrontation with the old woman on his mind but pushed it to the back to focus on the case. All the members of his team were present, dressed in their uniforms.

"Well Taylor in Communications got us the traces on all of the numbers from both Pepper's and Trent's phones. We don't have any matches between the two but we can check in with their friends, see if any of them work for Dr M too," Price chimed in, lending her voice to the conversation.

"I'll let you head that up, Price. The more people we can find, the more likely we'll be to finding someone who'll talk," Heero said.

"I don't think we should give up on getting something from Trent. If we offer to put him into the witness protection program, he may be willing to talk," Hayers said gesturing with his hands.

"It didn't work. We tried talking to him again this morning. He won't give us a name, he's sure that Dr M will kill him if he does," Trowa answered.

Hayers sighed, just as frustrated as the rest of them, "What else can we do? If the friends don't pan out, we can't sit around and wait for more people to turn up dead."

"We have his real motive now, we should look into using it to our advantage," Price said.

"He wants to be famous. But for splicing?" Gemmell asked.

"Maybe he's doing something different. Maybe we were wrong to assume he was using bad recombinant, maybe it's bad because it's meant to do something more," Weber hypothesized.

"What more would he want it to do? Isn't the point of splicing to make you look like your favorite animal?" Hayers asked.

Heero noticed that Gemmell was tapping her finger against her lip, her eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"We should have tests done on Lanie and Emmett's DNA and compare them to Trent's. We may be able to find the component that makes the two procedures different," Trowa added.

"Maybe it's supposed to be permanent," Gemmell said, drawing the room's attention. "The standard antidote doesn't work on any of his patients so maybe his breakthrough is to make it permanent."

"That could be true but it wouldn't make him famous," Heero said.

The knock on the door announcing Commander Chase stopped the conversation in the room. Heero thought it ironic that just yesterday, his presence in Chase's conference room had halted all activity and now Chase was returning the favor.

"Commander Yuy, I have a favor to ask."

Heero tried not to let the feeling of dread build up inside of him, but he knew the favor Chase would ask of him even before he opened his mouth to say it.

"I won't have enough people in time for tomorrow night's raid and I could use you, Barton and Hayers for the team."

"Commander, I don't think that I'm the right-"

"You're not still going on about that are you?" Chase questioned looking annoyed with him. "Son, do you think I give a fuck about you stomping some rapist's face in?"

"Sir, what I did-"

"What you did is what anybody else would have done in your position. If I thought you weren't capable and competent enough to come with me I wouldn't be here."

Heero didn't believe that what he had done was standard procedure. In fact, he could barely remember what he'd done.

He always remembered the sound first, the sound of helpless children crying. He could hear them long before the door to the backroom had been opened to the sight of a dozen children locked inside steel cages. Nine girls and three boys, all nude except for the collars strapped around their necks, all of them spliced. Most of them had large cat ears with long tails, but he remembered that some of them had floppy dog-ears and short, curled tails.

He'd split off from the others, who'd immediately set to work on releasing the children and herding them out of harm's way, to check the three closed doorways. The first, a small dingy bathroom, empty. The second, a broom closet, empty. The third room…the third room had held a small girl, no more than seven on her knees, choking and whimpering as fat meaty hands gripped her cat's ears and forced her head down.

He remembered struggling to breathe at the sight and the next being roughly shaken by Trowa, who had one hand gripping his arm, the other buried in the hair at the back of his head forcing him to look at the other man as he yelled in his face.

"Heero. Heero!"

"Trowa?"

"Are you with me?" Trowa had asked panicked.

He'd nodded slowly and when Trowa let go of his hair, he'd looked around them. The girl was a few feet away, huddled in on herself crying. He felt Trowa's grip on his arm tighten as he turned his head to look at the man stretched out on the ground and what was left of his face. It was a bloody, broken mess with a smear of blood marking the concrete leading towards him. He'd looked down at his feet then. His boots had been covered in blood.

The man, one Chester Clancy, didn't die that night although the doctor said his injuries were severe. Heero was forced to take a two-week suspension without pay, which he more than felt he'd earned although no one seemed to be mad at him. In fact, some people had congratulated him.

Clancy never pressed charges against him, his lawyer didn't advise it. He was charged, along with the other men who'd been arrested that night, with life in prison. He was killed two months into his sentence.

The girl, now rid of the forced enhancements, had made him a card thanking him for saving her life. He was glad to have been the one to save her from the pervert's attention but it didn't stop him from having nightmares seeing her being hurt, hearing her and the others crying except in his dream he wasn't able to help them.

He looked up into Commander Chase's blue eyes and knew he couldn't say no. He couldn't turn down the chance to help save an innocent child's life, to keep them from being sold to some rapist.

"I'll go."

"Good," Chase said clapping his shoulder again. "Take the day off tomorrow. We'll meet in the command center at seven to debrief and go over our plan."

"I understand."

"Barton, Hayers, you in?" he asked turning to the conference table. They both nodded. "I could use the rest of you guys once we get the kids out. You're welcome to tag along and help run support."

They nodded as well.

"Good. Rest up you guys. We're going to have a long night tomorrow getting these animals off the streets."

With that, he left them alone.

"Animals," Gemmell whispered to herself. "Hey, what if we've been going about this the wrong way?"

"What do you mean?" Trowa asked.

"We've been looking for a people doctor who splices people with animals," she answered gesturing with her hands in her excitement, making air quotes, "What if Dr M is an animal doctor who's working on people. A veterinarian who's crossed over."

"A vet could have access to all kinds of animal DNA," Weber added.

"And how often do you see a veterinarian on the news for anything remarkable?" This from Hayers.

"He could be trying to turn his patients from humans to animals. That could be why the DNA is breaking down, it isn't meant to be altered that drastically," Price said.

"Something like a shape shifter? Something you can turn on and off? He's been telling people that the government shouldn't have a right to control them, maybe he's trying to incorporate that." Gemmell said.

"We won't know for sure until we get more facts but this is a good start," Heero said bringing the focus on himself. "Price and Hayers, I want you to follow up with Pepper and Trent's friends."

"Yes, sir," they said in unison.

"Gemmell, since it was your idea, I want you and Weber to look up every vet on L1 and narrow the list down to the most suspect. Look for anyone who's published any findings or entered any type of science competition. We're looking someone who's trying to be noticed and I doubt the urge started overnight."

"Yes, sir," Gemmell said happily while Weber nodded in ascent.

"I'll go to the hospital and get DNA samples from Lanie and Emmett. Trowa, you take Trent and any one in lock up that wasn't spliced by Dr M and get their sample and meet me in the lab to get them tested."

"Yes, sir."

"I want each of you to keep me informed on anything you find. We have a lot of work to try and get done today before tomorrow's raid."


	6. Five

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

Adrenaline. It was the sound of his own harsh breathing circulating through his helmet, his blood pounding so hard through his veins it made his fingers tingle with numbness. It narrowed his gaze and his focus on one thing: completing the mission.

At the word _go_, Heero and his team moved quietly and quickly through the backdoor of In Italy, taking only seconds to secure the storage room, bolting the two doors leading through to the bar shut before advancing on the hallway. He hugged the right wall with Meyers, one of their two female medics behind him, and Trowa bringing up the rear. On the left Sandford, Chase's second, headed the line with Arnet following and Hayers in back.

After three hours of studying blueprints and discussing options, the group had decided on the most efficient way to clear their half of the building. As they came across each room, the lead person would enter and clear the area while the rest of the line moved forward. Once done the leader would return to the line at its rear. Heero thought of it as a tactical game of leapfrog.

He approached the manager's office, the first door on the right, crouching low before turning the handle and shoving the door open. He entered, sweeping the room with his gaze and automatic rifle, to find the room empty of targets. He backed out quickly closing the door, and followed Trowa with Meyers now leading their line they turned the corner into a long stretch of hallway lined with doors.

At the next door, he and Trowa paused letting Meyers enter and clear the room before moving pass. On the other side Sandford's group had already cleared two rooms putting Hayers in front, already in place to open another door and clear the room. Trowa's move into an open doorway left him in the lead again and he moved quickly to the next room. Following the same routine, he turned the knob and shoved the door open on an occupied bathroom.

"Quiet," he ordered, in the man's face before he had a chance to stop the flow of piss as he stood gaping at Heero. "On the ground, hands behind your head."

He kept the gun on the balding man as he fell to the ground his hands laced behind his head. He frisked, then read the blonde his rights as he jerked his arms behind his back securing his wrists with zip-ties followed by his ankles. Sure that the target would be staying put, he left the room closing the door behind him. He marked the door with a red zip-tie on the handle to alert the arresting team of the suspect behind the door.

He caught up with the group at the end of the hallway, just before it split to lead to the two entrances to the main stage. The doors to the two dressing rooms had yet to be opened as the team had stopped to wait for him.

"Barton, Hayers," he called, nodding to the two men to move to forward to the stage doors. They peeled away from the walls, bypassing the rest of team, moving around their respective corner and out of sight.

He moved in front of Meyers, putting his hand on the doorknob he looked to Sandford mirroring him and nodded. They rushed the two rooms at the same time. Heero took stock of the room in a blink. One cage in the center of the room with eight naked children and one man separated from Heero by the cage smoking a cigarette.

"Don't move," he ordered to the dark-haired man in vain as the other man made a move for something behind his back. Heero opened fire, pegging the target four times in the chest with rubber bullets before the move could be fully completed. The man fell heavily to the ground where Meyers moved in cuffing the unconscious man amid the sounds of the children's alarmed crying.

"Pete, I told you to leave those fucking kids alone," a second man yelled as he exited the private bathroom still drying his hands with a paper towel.

"Hands behind you head," Heero ordered, training his gun on the man.

"Shit," the man cried out in alarm.

"On the ground." Heero stalked over to the man as he dropped to his knees, pushing his shoulder forcing him flat on the floor. He searched the man quickly and thoroughly, relieving him of his gun. He tied the man's wrists and ankles while reading him his rights, before giving him a warning, "If you make a sound, I'll make you quiet. Do you understand?"

"Got it."

Heero stepped away from the man, seeing that Meyers had moved to the cage, awaiting orders.

"Hayers," he called into his helmet's mike.

"The left side is secure, Commander."

"Barton."

"The right side is secure, Commander."

"Sandford."

"The room is cleared. We have eight hostages."

He looked to Meyers, who commented without prompting, "The room is cleared. We have eight hostages," she said informing the rest of the team.

"Secure the hostages and be ready to move in five minutes," he instructed before cutting communication.

He holstered his gun and made his way across the room to Meyers' side. She relieved herself of her helmet, shaking her matted hair loose.

"How do you want to do this?"

"The way we planned. I'll lead them out and you dress them," he answered pulling his helmet off.

"Mr. Heero?"

"Kitten?" Heero asked surprised, looking into the cage at the boy he'd seen twice and met once. The small boy had his face pressed between the bars, smiling, though Heero could see the tear tracks that led from his red, puffy eyes. His left cheek scuffed and his brown hair in disarray around the large cat's-ears on the top of his head and light bruises on his arms and legs showed that he had not gone down without a fight.

"You know him?" Meyers asked disbelieving.

"I met him yesterday," he replied. A dozen questions were running through his mind but he forced himself to focus. He needed to get the children out and to safety before he considered the mystery around Kitten.

He knelt in front of the door to the cage pulling a small, portable drill from one of his utility pockets. Using the drill to shred the inner workings of the padlock and open the cage door. He gathered the small boy in his arms as he rushed forward from the cage, mindful of his nakedness and the long brown tail curling behind him.

"Take me home to my Nana," the boy said crying against his shoulder.

She reached out, touching the boy's arm, gently prying him away from Heero. "Come

here, sweetie. We're going to take you home."

He watched her dig into the pack she carried for one of the many medical gowns to put over the boy. He sniffled and cried but stayed docile in her care and Heero, relieved, turned back to the cage and the other children. They came nervously to the door of the steel cage and let themselves be dressed by himself or Meyers, except for one girl who sat huddled in on herself.

"Come out. You're safe now," Meyers called to the small girl, who shook her head in reply. "Sweetie, we're here to take you home. Come on out."

Their time was growing short; they needed to have the children moved before Chase's raiding team advanced on the building. The bolted doors would only hold under onslaught for so long before they were breached.

"Do you know who the Preventors are?" Heero asked.

She shook her head again, refusing to look up.

"We're like the police. We're the good guys," he said softly, "We came to take you and everyone else home. We can't leave without you."

She looked up at him then, her eyes puffy and swollen made worse by the bruise marring the left side of her face. He crawled into the cage at the sight of her, at her dead and betrayed eyes. He moved close but didn't touch her.

"No one is going to hurt you I promise."

Her eyes flicked to the man lying prone on the floor, only a few feet from the cage and Heero wished he'd been allowed to carry something other than non-lethal bullets.

"I won't let anyone touch you. I won't let anyone hurt you. I'll hurt them like I hurt him."

He wasn't sure if it was the vehemence in his voice or the look on his face that made her move, but she stirred, standing slowly. Shame made her hunch in on herself trying to cover her body with her hands. More bruises trailed along her pale and freckled body and he had to contain the rage that flared hot inside him. She moved forward stiffly and he met her halfway, leaning forward to pull her into his arms. She hugged his neck tight, whimpering. He took the gown Meyers offered pulling the girl away long enough to slip it over her.

"Stay close to me," he spoke quietly into her blonde dog-ears, rubbing her back. He moved slowly, keeping one hand on the girl as he made his way out of the cage and into the crowd of children.

"Are any of them hurt," he asked Meyers.

"Mostly a few scrapes, but his ankle is sprained," she said nodding her head towards Kitten, "One of us will need to carry him."

"I'll carry him," he said keeping a firm grip on the girl who clung to side burying her face against his leg. He lifted the boy into his arms settling him against his right hip.

"Okay everyone, we're leaving now. Stay close to us," Meyers instructed, herding the children towards the door. One of the boy's broke away from the others to run back, snatch Heero's helmet up, and come to his side, where they brought up the rear.

Sandford and his group were already in the hallway with Hayers on point leading the two groups back down the hallway and Trowa following covering their backs. No one spoke as they moved hurriedly towards the storage room and the exit where a van waited to load up the children and take them to the hospital.

Two agents, who had been waiting in the alley for their return, came inside lifting children into their arms and rushing them out the door as Heero and his group made a slow procession towards the door. Most of the children had been led outside by the time they made it within a few feet of the door before being stopped.

"Wait," Kitten said, lifting his head, stopping the procession. "You can't leave her."

"Leave who?" Heero asked.

"Commander Yuy? What's going on?" Sandford asked, pulling up short.

"I'm not sure. Take the children and get them to the van," he answered. He turned to the children at either side of him, "Go with him," he urged turning the two children over to Sandford but the girl only shook her head and pressed tighter against him.

"It's okay," Sandford said, holding his hand out, "I won't hurt you."

She didn't budge.

Heero knelt on one knee, speaking softly to her, "This is my friend, and he'll take care of you."

She shook her head.

"There's another girl here. I can't leave her either."

She looked up at him then, worry and fear on her face.

"I'll only be a minute. Go with him."

She moved away then, tentatively taking Sandford's hand. The boy at his side followed her example, the two letting themselves be led away from the room.

"Who can't we leave, Kitten?" he asked after he saw the other children off.

"The girl. You can't leave her in the box."

"What box?"

Kitten pointed over Heero's shoulder to where a dozen crates where stacked against the wall. Heero moved towards the boxes with Meyers and Trowa close behind him.

"Which one?" Heero asked already dreading what he might find inside the crate.

"That one," the boy replied leaning down to touch a crate that sat in the middle of a stack.

Heero put the boy on the ground, letting Meyers pull him away as Trowa lifted the first crate out of the away. Heero took the second and set it aside before they both reached out to pull away the lid of the third. They quickly ripped away the boards that were stapled in place to reveal the body of a small girl packed inside the crate.

"Dear God," Meyers said, while Trowa tore his helmet off and ripped his gloves away from his hands to reach into the crate to touch the girl.

_Sleeping. She looks like she's sleeping, _Heero thought, stunned_. _Her face, slack and peaceful, surrounded by dark ringlets drew his focus. He couldn't look at the rest of her body, bent and contorted to fit inside the small crate, where blood stained her thighs and dark bruises marked her skin.

He saw Trowa shake his head out of the corner of his eye, the taller man's hands retreating from the box.

Dead. She was dead. Barely six years old and she was dead. Raped, killed, and hidden away and the bastard who did it couldn't even be bothered to empty the box first.

"Meyers, take him outside," his own voice, so calm and cold, sounded like white noise to his own ears.

The woman barely gave him a second glance before she snatched Kitten up into her arms and made for the door.

"Heero, don't do this," Trowa said grabbing his arm.

"Let me go."

"Chase and his team are going to get the bastard that did this. In two minutes the man that did this is going to be captured."

Trowa's words barely penetrated his ears as he pulled the confiscated sidearm from its holster and ejected the clip finding it full. He enjoyed the decisive sound of the clip clicking back into place.

"Damn it, Heero. Don't do this again."

"Let me go."

The sudden hand around his throat surprised him just as much as being forcefully jerked around to face Trowa, nose to nose. The other man had left himself unprotected and for a dark moment, Heero thought about shooting out the man's kneecap to make him let go.

The awful thought was enough to give Heero pause.

"I want to kill the sick fuck that did this as much as you do, but we have a job to do. There are sixteen kids out there who need us to do our fucking job. Now get your shit together!"

"Someone has to pay for this, Trowa," he managed to squeeze out around the hand choking him.

"And they will. Let Chase do his job."

He didn't know if his resolve was breaking or if the lack of oxygen was taking effect but the fight was draining out of him and the sorrow and grief were setting in. He felt cold.

"How could anyone do that, Trowa? How could they do that to a little girl?"

"I don't know, Heero," Trowa answered sighing. His hand dropped away, as he pressed his head against Heero's. "I don't know."

The sounds of gunfire and yelling startled them both, as they jumped away form each other. Their fifteen minutes were up and Chase's team had begun their raid. Trowa caught him quickly, before he had a chance to look at the girl again.

"Don't. We need to get the others to the hospital."

"We can't leave her."

"We have to. We can't destroy anymore evidence."

Heero knew that he was right, that the less they touched her, the more evidence there would be to link her to her killer, but the thought pained him. He didn't want to leave her there, packed into a crate like a broken and discarded toy.

Heero waited while Trowa retrieved his helmet and gloves and together they left the room. He approached the van with feelings of guilt and shame looking at the small faces staring back at him. Saving these children, returning them home was much more important than thoughts of revenge. He had a duty to them first and with that resolve, he climbed into the van giving the order to move out.


	7. six

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

In novels and short stories, authors described hospitals as gloomy places where death lurked creating an ominous feeling. The building smelled like sickness and disinfectant. The walls were painted a nauseous green color that made the fluorescent lights blinding.

It was portrayed as a place people came to die.

Heero never saw hospitals that way. He had his share of bad experiences in hospitals but being inside the blue-painted walls, he smelled nothing. The bright lighting only gave him hope for the people inside and right now sixteen children were being cared for behind curtained beds in the emergency room. So far, all but four had been identified and their parents notified of their location. Three were orphans who, like all of the other children had been kidnapped, while the fourth, Kitten, couldn't give them a name for himself other

than the one his Nana called him.

Barton and Hayers sat in the small waiting room, while he paced back and forth, waiting for news. Price, Weber and Gemmell had met them at the hospital and were part of the team gathering information on the children, helping to assist in calling parents and running matches on the spliced DNA. Each doctor or clinic had its own signature coding and finding it would determine who did the splicing and aided in child slavery.

They'd been waiting for almost an hour before Price and Gemmell appeared around the corner carrying files and clipboards. Gemmell's bright smile told Heero without words that she had good news for him.

"What have you found out?" He looked between the two women noticing, not for the first time, the difference between the two. Where Gemmell was light-hearted and bubbly with bright red hair hanging loose around her shoulders, Cheza Price was disciplined and strict with her dark brown haircut short above her ears. They both wore the standard Preventors' uniform but Gemmell managed to look casual while Price was all business, standing a head taller than her younger counterpart.

"Twenty-three children were recovered in all," Price answered, handing over her files.

"Twenty-three?"

"Yeah, some of the suspects brought in their 'old kids' to resell in the Auction," Gemmell answered making use of air quotes.

"That's sick," Hayers said.

"What else?"

"All of the children had their splicing done by the same doctor except one," Price continued. "The boy you asked us to look after, Kitten, had his splicing done by another doctor."

"Who did his?" Heero asked not able to be surprised by any news concerning the boy.

"We don't know and that's not all. He's been spliced with multiple animals."

"What?" Trowa asked stepping closer.

"He's at least seventy percent cat but he's also spliced with reptile, bird and some unknown DNA. The hospital's lab isn't equipped to give us more definitive results."

"We questioned the doctor who spliced the others. He was at the Auction and he says that Kitten was brought in spliced."

"It's too much of a coincidence that the kid is called Kitten and is spliced with a cat," Hayers said.

"There's more. Most of the splicing we've seen has been cosmetic, the ears and tails are just for show, but not Kitten's. His ears move independent of each other. I watched him tracking the sound of the nurses working."

"The hat," Heero whispered to himself, the image of the two times he'd met Kitten coming to mind, as well as the baggy clothes. The boy had been spliced before hand and his Nana was trying to covering it up. It explained why she had been so eager to be rid of

Heero and his curiosity. "Has he told you the name of his Nana?"

"Nana is the only name he knows her by."

"But I did some digging and found a missing persons report filed yesterday that matched his description by a Janet Hughes," Gemmell supplied, checking her notes. "She listed his name as Connor Hughes, which is the name of her thirty-four year old son. Totally suspicious if you ask me."

"Do you want us to bring her in or turn everything over to Chase?"

"No, this may be the connection in Dr M's motive that we've been looking for and he may be the only lead we have in a missing person's case."

"What do you want us to do?"

"I'll leave it up to you and Gemmell to make the arrest. Do everything by the book; I don't want any mistakes with this."

"Yes, Commander," they both answered.

"Once Kitten has been cleared by the hospital, see to it that he's turned over to Preventors' custody. We'll need to have more tests done to determine the extent of his splicing."

"I'll handle that," Hayers said, levering himself from his chair. "I'm tired of waiting around for Chase to release us."

"The staff is determined to give each child the antidote before releasing them, including Kitten. I've convinced them to hold off on Kitten for the time being. It would be best if you explained the situation, Commander."

"Who's in charge?"

"The attending is Dr Walker, but it's the staff psychologist, Dr Devereaux, who's insisting. Says the longer the kids are left like that the more damage it'll do."

"Giving Kitten the antidote may do more harm than good," Trowa said, "We don't know how long he's been spliced or the effects the antidote might have on the multiple splicings."

"We explained that to the doctor, but he doesn't want to cooperate. We left Weber with Kitten to keep an eye on the situation."

"I'll speak to him. Go and make your arrest. Hayers get started on the paperwork. Barton you're with me."

Heero and Trowa turned to leave the waiting area and the others to make their way across the hospital. They'd chosen to wait in one of the waiting rooms furthest from the ER to allow arriving parents the space closest to the children. Many brightly dressed nurses nodded to them as they passed them in the halls, and Heero wondered if the staff had contests for most creative scrubs when he saw one woman wearing a set with carrots dressed as doctors.

"Do you think Janet Hughes will give us any information?"

"I doubt it; especially after she finds out I'm in charge. I want you to lead on this. I don't want my meeting her two days ago to come back and bite us."

"You don't think she'll accuse you of orchestrating Kitten's kidnapping, do you?"

"No, but I won't put it past someone like Rains to dredge it up and try to dismiss our case against her."

"We should look into -," Trowa started but paused stopping in the middle of the hall, "Do you hear that?"

Heero stilled, listening. The sounds of ripping and crashing sounded in the hallway, coming from the recovery bay where the children were being held, quickly followed by screaming.

They both ran forward, pushing through the double doors drawing their handguns before the scene had time to process in their minds.

Pete McCormack stood in the midst of the curtain cubicles, a small boy held tightly against his chest, a large shard of glass pressed to the boy's throat. He turned, wide-eyed at their entrance, clutching the boy closer. He dropped to his knees making himself a smaller target behind the boy using him as a shield.

"Don't come any closer," he said panting.

Heero recognized the man as the one he'd shot four times in the dressing room at the club. He'd been admitted into the hospital still unconscious and Heero regretted instantly the mandate to use non-lethal bullets during the raid.

"Let the boy go," he said flatly, training his gun on the man's dark greasy head. His muddy brown eyes were large and blinking rapidly while he pumped sweat out of every pore.

The boy, Lucas, from the stickered nametag on his gown, wheezed as he cried pushing himself away from the large piece of glass that cut into his neck. He scratched at McCormack's hand trying to free himself from the man's restraining grip. He had yet to be given the antidote and light brown cat-ears graced the top of his head were pressed flat in fear.

"I can't go to prison. Do you know what will happen to me?" McCormack cried gesturing with his left hand leaving his side open. Heero didn't hesitate to shoot him, taking him high in the shoulder. Blood exploded outward, splattering both McCormack and the boy, along with the white curtains where other children and some adults, hidden from sight, screamed in response.

Heero moved closer but McCormack refused to relent even after being shot, grabbing one of Lucas' ears. The boy howled in response as his ear was crushed in the man's grip.

"You don't understand what'll happen to me!"

"You'll get exactly what you deserve," Heero answered coldly. "Now let the boy go."

McCormack looked him in the eye and something Heero saw there made his stomach knot and his blood run cold. Something nasty and vile rose to the surface of the man's face and Heero instantly knew who he was looking at.

Pete McCormack, Leila Johnson's murderer. He released the harsh grip he had on Lucas' ear to instead softly pet and stroke the appendage pressing his face against the boy's hair as he stared unwaveringly at Heero.

"She begged me to stop," he said quietly, so quietly that Heero barely heard him over the sound of his own blood rushing through his ears. "She promised to be good girl if I stopped."

"Shut up."

"I didn't mean to kill her. She just wouldn't stay still, just kept squirming."

"Shut up," he said louder, moving his finger away from the trigger. If he shot now, he would hurt the boy clutched in McCormack's hands and he couldn't risk it no matter how much his inner voice screamed at him to shoot.

"She was so soft and so pretty," he said rubbing his face against the boy's hair. "She had the prettiest curls. She was asking for it in the end."

The sudden gunshot startled Heero. He gasped looking to see where the shot had landed and secondly where it had come from. A scorch mark marred the linoleum to McCormack's right having come from Trowa's sidearm.

"Let the boy go and shut the fuck up," the taller man said coldly.

McCormack flicked his gaze between the two of them, his face pale from blood loss, looking for the one he could manipulate into killing him. Heero didn't want it to come to that. As much as he wanted McCormack to die for what he'd done, he wouldn't do it on the man's terms. He wouldn't let the man escape his fear of going to prison and whatever fate awaited him there.

"We're not going to kill you. That would be too easy," Heero said.

"No, no, I won't go to jail," he said shaking his head. The cold-blooded snake that could kill a little girl and feel nothing retreated to be replaced by the scared and pathetic man kneeling on the floor before them.

"Let the boy go and put your hands behind your head," Heero ordered, but he knew from experience that McCormack wasn't good at following directions. He dug the shard of glass deeper into Lucas' neck, drawing more blood, while rocking back on his heels to stand. The moment he was on his feet both Heero and Trowa fired into his legs. McCormack screamed, his legs buckling dropping him to his knees.

In the sudden confusion, the two rushed forward, Trowa pulling Lucas from McCormack's slack grip and Heero delivering a hard punch to McCormack's face knocking him flat. He grabbed the man's left arm forcing it up and behind his back pulling on his shoulder making him scream.

"Now," Heero said, leaning close to the man's ear where he knelt beside him, "It'll be easier for the other inmates to catch you."

McCormack screamed again and suddenly there were more hands to help hold him down. Sandford along with Meyers and Arnet appeared in Heero's field of vision along with two nurses dragging a gurney and a doctor directing them. Cuffed and secured, McCormack was lifted and dumped unceremoniously on the gurney where he was strapped down and rolled away.

Heero watched the proceedings dazed. The adrenaline seeped from his muscles leaving him weak and nauseous. He stayed kneeling as the curtains around him parted and curious faces looked out at him and the blood on the floor. One of the children braved the mess on the floor carefully stepping around it to approach him. Her nametag read Hannah, the scared little girl from the dressing room. She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face against his neck.

"It's okay," he told her putting his arm around her, "He won't hurt you or anyone else again."


	8. Seven

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

The rest of the night was thankfully uneventful. Once a helpful nurse pulled Hannah away, Heero retired to the restroom. He washed his face, them thought better of it dunking his head underneath the faucet. The cool water seeping into his hair, running over his skin was a welcomed distraction and calming relief. Trowa found him like that and made a tired and lame attempt at a joke about him drowning himself. It was shaping up to be a long night for both of them.

Shortly afterwards Chase came by, informing them of the seventy-two people, both men and women, who'd been arrested and thanked them for their help, dismissing them for the night. He'd given his okay for the team to take Kitten into protective custody and the issue with Dr Devereaux was sorted out without much of fight. Heero wondered if the doctor trusted him to take of care of the boy or if he was afraid of him after the incident in the recovery bay.

Lucas had been stitched up and put to bed with a mild sedative and his parents waiting in the wings to comfort him as soon as he woke. The two nearly broken Heero's hand, pumping his fist as they thanked him repeatedly.

Heero decided for both himself and Trowa that they would spend the night at his apartment. While sleep was not easy to find, they did manage to drift off eventually into a fitful rest. Heero couldn't remark on Trowa's thoughts that night but his own chased around the look on McCormack's face, that moment when the rapist and killer surfaced looking at him, daring him to shoot. Not many things scared him in life or made him angry enough to lose himself in rage but looking into that man's face and seeing that transformation did. It bothered him to know that everyday, people just like McCormack walked past Heero on the streets. It strengthened his resolve to find Dr M. because he was out there taking advantage of innocent people, destroying their bodies for his own personal gain.

He wondered if when he found the man if he would watch the same evilness rise from somewhere deep inside of him or if he wore his madness proudly.

Noon, the following day, found all of Heero's team in their conference room rehashing the events of last night and discussing the assignments they'd previously been sent on by Heero.

"There were no matches between Pepper and Trent's phone records. We even went as far as checking their e-mail accounts and found nothing that linked the two to a third party," Price informed the room.

"What about disposable cell phone numbers?" Heero asked from his place at the round table.

"There were several numbers but none of them are active anymore and we also can't get any of the numbers that were made from the phones. None of them were with any type of service provider that would keep a log of all the numbers," Hayers answered.

"So we need to focus on finding the doctor and not his associates. Did you find anything Gemmell?"

"A couple possibles, but none of them stand out as being our bad guy. It'll take a while to go around to each and every one of them to figure out who could be behind it."

"We don't have a lot of time to work with," Trowa said, opening a folder in front of him to pull out a few sheets to hand to Heero. "Those are the results from the lab. The process is accelerating. Where before a person had at least three months after splicing to live, now they only have three weeks."

Heero stared at the paper both shocked and confused, while the rest of the room remained dissonantly silent. They had less than a week, if they were going to try to save Lanie and Emmett, their two interim patients, as well as any person foolish enough to go to Dr M in the last few weeks that they hadn't yet caught or had brought in to them.

"Were the techs able to spot a difference between the two sets of DNA?" Gemmell asked.

"At this point, Lanie and Emmett's DNA are too unstable to track any distinctive differences, but certain DNA sequences have been altered, ones that affect more than just the appearance."

"What's been changed exactly?" Price asked.

"So far the technicians noticed a change in adrenaline and hormone production. I had them send off samples to Dr Greyson, the geneticist we have on retainer, for further study."

"We need to get a time line for how long Kitten has been spliced."

"Why?" Heero asked, "What have you found out."

"The results from our lab show that Kitten is spliced with Tonkinese cat, Hellbender salamander, bat, Great Horned Owl, panther, polar bear and two other animals that haveyet to be identified." She looked up from the sheet she'd been reading from to add, "The techs are still trying to narrow down the exact species for each animal."

"The kid's his own zoo," Weber said astonished.

"How is he even alive?" Hayers asked, echoing Heero's thoughts. There were people who couldn't handle being spliced by regular recombinant while Kitten was spliced with eight different sets of DNA and seemed no worse for wear.

"What has Hughes had to say about it?"

"Nothing," Gemmell answered. "Absolutely nothing. She asked for a lawyer for Kitten when we picked her up and hasn't said a word since."

"That's not all, Commander," Price said drawing his focus again. "I had his DNA run through CODIS and found a match. He has seven alleles in common with Duo Maxwell.

We can't prove just yet that he is his father but we do know that they are related."

"He was from our missing person's case, right?" Weber asked.

"Yes and we weren't able to find anything concrete on how or why he disappeared. I'm sure that Mrs. Hughes knows something about both Kitten's splicing and Duo's disappearance." Price answered.

At this point Heero could see the confusion on Hayers and Gemmell's faces. They weren't apart of Heero's original team four years ago and knew nothing about the cold case they spoke of.

"We shouldn't lump all of this on Hughes' head until we have more facts," Trowa said.

"She isn't talking, she obviously has something to hide," Hayers argued.

"Or something to protect."

"Trowa is right. She has an older son, maybe she's covering for him. I don't see a woman that old attacking people and stealing their kids." Gemmell said.

"She could have bought him. At an Auction," Hayers pointed out.

"We won't know for sure until we get either her or Kitten to talk. We need to find out if this investigation has any ties to our case against Dr M."

"With what the techs told me, this kind of breakthrough in splicing would make a person famous. Like Nobel prize famous."

"It's true," Price added, "Like I mentioned before Kitten's splicing isn't just cosmetic, key structures in his genetic make-up have been changed. We won't know the full extent without testing and with Mrs. Hughes locked up and Duo missing we have no one acting as legal guardian to allow us to do the tests."

"Are any of the tests proposed unethical?"

"Some of what those geeks suggested should be," Gemmell said, flopping back in her chair, arms crossed. "They want to see if he can breathe underwater."

"Hellbender salamanders live underwater," Price explained before anyone could question.

"You're telling me the kid might have gills?" Weber asked.

"The ER doctors didn't find anything that unusual, but based on the complexity of Kitten's DNA the techs don't want to rule it out."

"We'll send a sample of his DNA off to Dr. Greyson as well and let him determine what we should do next. Maybe he can compare the two and see if anything looks the same."

"I really don't think that we're looking for the same doctor in this, Commander," Gemmell stated.

"Neither do I, but the two could be related. If we find one we might find the other. We also can't rule out that Kitten may have been a success that he's trying to duplicate in adults."

"I see."

"So what should we do now?" Hayers asked.

"If you don't mind Commander I want to keep looking through the list of vets. I have a couple of ideas that might help narrow the search down," Gemmell said.

"Then I'll leave it to you."

"Thanks, Commander," she answered happily.

"Weber, I want you to look into Hughes' son and see what you can find on him. Hayers and Barton, I want the two of you to work on getting information out of Hughes. Price, you and I are going to talk to Kitten."

The Preventors' Headquarters housed a facility made specifically for children who needed to be questioned in regards to a case. This room had quickly become heaven to one boy by the name of Kitten. Heero watched him through the two-way mirror as he tore through room needing to touch and play with everything the brightly colored room had to offer. He spent one minute with the blocks then the next playing with trains before zipping over to the coloring books then over to the costume bin before taking up two dolls, making them kiss as he giggled.

"He's really well-adjusted," Joyanne DeWitt said. She was a child psychologist on retainer with Preventors and would act as Kitten's advocate while Heero questioned him. "He isn't afraid to be alone by himself in a strange place and he's amendable to making friends. That's not the type of behavior you see in a child who's been abused or neglected."

"What about the splicing?" Price asked. "The psychologist at the hospital said it would be damaging for him if we left him like that."

"On any other child I'd say yes. Having your self-image changed so drastically and under those circumstance would be damaging, but from what I've gathered, as far as he knows he's always been like this."

"Is he up for questioning?" Heero asked from his place at the window. He watched as the boy stopped in his frenzy for a moment to run off to the toy bin where he tossed toys left and right looking for something in particular.

"Yes, but I was told that his grandmother asked for a lawyer on his behalf," she said as more of a question than a statement.

"She did," Price said not bothering to correct the woman as 'Nana' was not Kitten's grandmother.

"Well once he or she arrives we can get started."

The boy, having found the toy, a super hero action figure from what Heero could see, headed towards what was a large mirror on his side of the room, climbing on top of the chairs and bins to stand directly in front of Heero

"What is he doing?" Price asked at the same time as Kitten knocked on the glass, waiting.

"Can he hear us?" Joyanne whispered. Heero spared the woman as glance over his shoulder where she stood off to the side with Price.

"The room is soundproofed," Price answered, her eyes trained on the boy who knocked again and waited, although this time impatiently as he put his hands on his hips.

"That doesn't mean that there is no sound," Heero said, watching Kitten's ears turn from the sound of Price's voice to his. "Kitten can you hear me?"

"Yes," the boy sang.

"That's impossible," Joyanne said, moving to Heero's side and Heero saw something else that was supposedly impossible.

"Kitten, can you see me?"

"Yes," he sang again, his eyes and his ears tracking back to Heero, where he looked at the man through the glass smiling. "Mr. Heero, will you play toys with me?" He held the toy up to the mirror for Heero to see.

"Yes," he replied, and watched the boy hop off the bins, cheering.

"Wait," Joyanne called following him out of the observation room, "You can't question him without his lawyer present."

"I know."

"Don't you think you should tell some one about this? He can see through a two-way mirror!"

"Price will make the necessary calls," he said, sure that the unflappable woman was doing just that.

He entered the room to find Kitten waiting just beyond the door bouncing with energy fueled by eagerness. Dressed in a too large t-shirt and jeans modified to allow his tail to wag freely, and bare feet he looked right at home in the large playroom

"This one's yours," he said pushing the toy into one of Heero's hands while grabbing the other to drag him off to the bin. "Sit," he ordered tugging on Heero's hand.

Heero sat obediently, watching as Kitten dug through the remaining toys to come up with another action figure and a doll. He pushed the doll into Joyanne's hand, ordering her to sit as well and kept the other action figure for himself. Heero thought it somewhat laughable that he was still taller than the boy sitting down.

"What are we playing Kitten?" Joyanne asked him, holding her doll aloft.

"Rescue. We have to save the princess," he said pointing to Joyanne's doll.

"Where's the bad guy?"

"Oh," he said looking around them for a suitable bad guy. "This one."

He chose a large remote control car that was ugly and would have made an inefficient car in real life in Heero's opinion, with its fins, flags and neon decals. He dropped the car in the middle of them and proceeded to wail away at it with his toy. He stopped long enough to tell Heero that he needed to help too, and Heero joined him hitting the car with his toy although not nearly as enthusiastically as Kitten did. Joyanne laughed at the both them, but joined the game nonetheless.

"Save me, save me," she said in a high-pitched voice, shaking the doll as if her voice were really coming from it.

Heero couldn't remember ever playing with toys before and wondered if this was the silly way that all kids did it. Nevertheless, he found himself enjoying it, glad to have the playful moment to break up the monotonous feeling of the day. He was also glad that Trowa was not here to make fun of him.

"Commander Yuy, I hope playing with dolls is all you've been doing with my client," a familiar voice said behind him.

"Ms. Rains," he greeted without turning around, "Join us. You can be the car."

"It's already dead," Kitten said in a loud whisper and Joyanne laughed in response.

"I'm not here to play games, Commander," said walking around them to Kitten's side. "I'm here to take this young man back to his Nana."

"She's in jail and withholding information. He's been released into Preventors' custody, namely mine once the branch Director approves it."

"But it hasn't been approved yet and Janet Hughes is still his legal guardian."

"Not if she kidnapped him."

"Nana didn't kidnap me, those men did."

"What men?" Heero asked, now able to ask his questions with Rains there.

"Don't answer that sweetheart," Rains said trying to put a restraining hand on Kitten's head but he easily dodged her, moving closer to Heero.

"The ones from the room." Heero knew instantly which men he spoke of; Pete McCormack and Conner Falls.

"Tell me what happened."

"Nana told me don't take the hat off. That bad people would take me away but it itches!"

He reached up to scratch at his ears even though he wasn't wearing the hat and his ears more than likely didn't itch. "They pushed Nana over and took me away. Is Nana okay? Does she hate me?"

"She's fine and she's looking for you," Rains answered, soothingly. "I'm going to take you back to her."

"I don't wanna go with you," Kitten grumped.

"Kitten, have you always had cat-ears?" Heero asked.

"Yep! My Nana says they make me special and that's why I gots to hide them."

"Commander Yuy, that's enough, you're forcing him to implicate his grandmother."

"I'm not doing anything but finding out the truth," he said looking up at the woman from his spot on the floor. "Janet Hughes may very well be an innocent bystander in all of this but she refuses to talk. What he tells me may very well set her free."

"Or she could end up thrown in prison or some penal colony and he'll spend the rest of his life as a lab rat. I'm here to protect him just as much as her."

"I'm not a rat," Kitten said angrily but was ignored.

"That won't happen to him and you know it."

"But she doesn't and I was asked to protect his best interests."

"Giving him back to her isn't in his best interests," he said, then paused as a thought struck him. "She knows. She knows who did this and exactly what was done to him. If she knows something about this-"

"She won't talk. I've already tried to convince her to make a deal."

"Then why are you here?"

"To make sure that he doesn't talk and make things worse. You have no evidence of wrongdoing. The most you can charge her with is accessory to child splicing after the fact. She has no criminal background, she'll walk with probation."

"Not if I charge her with kidnapping."

"They're no grounds for that. We've already established who kidnapped him for the Auction."

"That isn't what I meant," Heero said. He dug into the inside pocket of his coat, removing a picture. He held it up for Kitten to look at. "Kitten, do you know this man?"

"That's my daddy!" He exclaimed ripping the picture from Heero's hand to hug to his chest.

"Who is that?" Rains asked gesturing to the picture. Her face had gone pale and Heero knew that he had something he could use against them.

"Duo Maxwell. He's been missing for over four years now. Kitten, how old are you?"

"Three," he said beaming, the picture still held tightly to his chest.

"I don't think Mrs. Hughes is Duo's type, so how did she end up with his son in her care."

"Maybe she's his mother."

"Duo was an orphan and we checked Kitten's DNA against hers. There's no match."

"That doesn't prove anything," Rains said defiantly. Heero held back a smug expression as he could just imagine Rains watching her entire case fall around her ears.

"Kitten," Heero said turning to the boy again, "Do you know where your father is?"

The boy opened his mouth to speak and Heero held his breath in anticipation.


	9. Eight

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

Extra note: the dashes - signal a breath being drawn, you'll know what I mean when you get there.

###

Chapter Eight

"No!" Rains yelled, lunging forward, covering Kitten's mouth with her hand. Kitten made protesting sounds, struggling to get away from the woman.

"Let him go," Heero said angrily.

"No, I won't let him incriminate Mrs. Hughes anymore.

"Let him go or I'm charging you with assault."

She glared at Heero although the effect was somewhat ruined by the fact the woman was on her knees in a form fitting pinstripe skirt that was riding up indecently, showing off the tops of her thigh-high stockings.

"Don't answer him, Kitten. Your Nana could be in a lot of trouble if you do," she pleaded with Kitten before slowly pulling her hand away. The boy looked at Rains for a moment before turning to Heero.

"Is that true?"

"I need to know where your daddy is and if she hurt him or not," Heero explained.

"I think we should stop," Joyanne said, earning a glare from Heero. "You're asking him to weigh his father against his Nana. It isn't fair of you to ask that of him."

"I agree with the doctor," Rains said, looking smug.

"You were the one that instigated this," Joyanne told the woman. She leaned forward, gathering the boy into her arms. He sat in her lap looking between Heero and Rains his ears drooping. "You either come to a compromise or no more questions."

Heero looked to Rains and found her looking at him just as intently. They leaned forward, having a quick hushed argument.

"Anything he says could jeopardize my client."

"His father could be in danger along with countless other people. What he knows is more important than how many years Hughes might spend in jail."

"You agree here and now that the death penalty is off the table and he can answer your questions about Maxwell.

Heero balled his hand into a fist fighting the urge to growl, "Agreed."

"Maxwell only, Commander."

"If he knows something about the doctor-"

"Then we make another deal."

"We don't have any charges against her to deal on yet"

"You can forget about charging her with kidnapping," Rains suggested, smiling.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Heero said pulling back and turning to Kitten. "Do you know where your daddy is?"

"Mm, I forgot," the boy said negligently, his attention focused on the toy in his hands.

"Your Nana won't be in trouble if you tell me, Kitten."

Kitten shook his head, his wild hair flying about his face, "I really forgot. I don't remember where it is."

"Do you remember if he was at a house?" Joyanne asked, and Heero was glad for her help in dealing with the small boy.

"It's a building and you go in and then you go downstairs."

"Is the building on this colony, Kitten?" Joyanne asked. She held the boy under his arms, pulling him back as she bent forward to speak to him. He looked up at her before answering yes. "Do you remember the color of the building?"

"Shiny."

"Shiny, like it was made of metal?"

"Yes."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

Kitten huffed, "A long time. He said he was tired but he has lots of work to do."

"What kind of work Kitten?"

He shrugged, picking at his toy, "Can we play now?"

"In a little while," Heero answered. "It's really important that you tell me everything you know about your daddy."

"He likes peanuts and he can sing and he makes good sandwiches. Now can we play?"

"Do your daddy and Nana know each other?" Heero asked, ignoring the random bits of information Kitten had decided to share.

"Mm," Kitten started, gnawing on the hand of his action figure his face screwed up in thought, "No."

"When did you start living with your Nana?"

"Commander," Rains warned.

"When I was a baby."

"Have you ever visited your daddy since you started living with Nana?"

"No," he whined, "I wanna play now. You said we'd play more toys."

"I think that's it for today, Commander," Joyanne said, shaking her head.

"Alright, we can try again later."

"You can't question him without me, Commander," Rains said, "And I don't trust that if you're allowed to stay here and play with him that you won't ask more questions outside of the scope of our agreement."

"Do you plan to baby-sit the both of us, Ms. Rains?"

"No, I want Kitten's custody remanded and that he be placed under the state's care. It's in

both his and my client's best interest."

"You're talking about sending him to a foster home. In his condition-"

"He will be well looked after, Commander. The splicing will do nothing to jeopardize his safety until this issue can be sorted out."

"The splicing led to him being kidnapped once before. He's just as safe here as anywhere else."

"But can I trust you and your team to not ask him any personal questions? Or ones dealing with either of your cases."

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, Commander. Your word doesn't hold much value to me. Ms. DeWitt," she said turning to the other woman, "I'm holding you responsible for assuring that Commander Yuy doesn't ask my client anymore questions until I return. If he does and you allow it, I'll

hold you in contempt."

"I know how to do my job," Joyanne said, unhappily. She rose to her feet, lifting Kitten as she did. "I think it's time Kitten and I went to lunch."

"We're not going to play anymore?" Kitten asked looking to Heero, as he also rose from the floor.

"Soon," he said. "I promise. We haven't saved the princess yet."

Kitten sighed his ears laying flat against his head, the epitome of sadness, "Okay."

Joyanne moved away, carefully making her way across the strewn about toys to leave the room. Heero turned back to Rains where she was making a clumsy attempt to stand without flashing the tops of her stockings, and failing. He held his hand out to her and for a moment, she looked up at him questioning before taking his hand and letting him pull her to her feet.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"It isn't personal, you know. I have to do my job to the best of my ability just the same as you do yours."

"I know."

"Off the record," she said looking to Heero, "I don't think Mrs. Hughes is a bad woman. I think she's protecting someone."

"That someone might be a murderer."

"I'll see what I can do to get her to talk to you, Commander. If I can't convince her to help herself, the least I can do is keep you from sending her to jail for crimes she didn't commit."

"You wouldn't be doing you job if you did," he said. Although Monica Rains insisted on giving him a hard time with every client she defended, he couldn't fault the woman for doing her job. He would do the same in her position, doing whatever he could to see that he helped the people he'd sworn to defend.

"Well then," she said with a smile, "Same time tomorrow. Don't forget to bring your dueling pistols."

He gave a slight smile and wondered if it would be considered cheating if he brought a Vulcan cannon.

###

"I got your message a few minutes ago," Trowa said walking into Heero's office unannounced. "Kitten's been moved into a foster home?"

"Hm," Heero replied from his place at his filing cabinet.

"What do you plan to do?" Trowa asked moving across the room to slouch in Heero's desk chair.

"There's nothing to do. Rains' appeal will hold until we either drop all charges against Hughes or solve our case."

Finding the file he wanted, he moved to his desk adding the folder to the pile he'd collected. After his talk with Kitten earlier in the day he'd spent much of his time researching buildings across the colony that housed areas underneath that served as more than fall-out shelters. Not many areas in the colony were zoned for those types of structural changes unless they were already constructed as part of the colony design. It left him with fewer places to search and with any luck, by cross-referencing, Nana's comings and goings, along with last known sightings of Duo from four years ago, he could narrow down his search even more.

"What happened with Hughes? Did you get her to talk?" Heero asked.

"No. Four hours and she said nothing. Short of torture I don't think there's anything we can do," he said leaning back in Heero's chair.

"I doubt we can get approval for that."

Trowa chuckled under his breath, before asking, "Did you talk to Weber?"

"Yes, he sent me a message and Connor Hughes' file. The man has been in prison for identity fraud, attempted arm robbery and possession of narcotics with attempt to sale for the last seven years."

"Which clears him as a suspect. I can see why Mrs. Hughes would list Kitten by that name in the police report."

"Has anyone checked to see if Kitten has a birth certificate under that name?"

"The hospital did a full search by name and DNA and found no matches in any hospital colony-wise."

"We should broaden the search. He may not have been born on this colony."

"I've been thinking," Trowa started, sitting up straight, "Do you think Duo could be Dr. M?"

"No," Heero answered easily. The thought had never crossed his mind to assume that Duo might be Dr. M. He would sooner believe that than he would Duo and Mrs. Hughes being secret lovers.

"No?" Trowa questioned, "Have you even considered it?"

"No."

"Heero, we shouldn't overlook the possibility that Duo is involved with splicing somehow." Trowa said arguing his case.

"I'm not, but Duo wouldn't do something like this, not to his own son."

"Are you sure? I don't want to believe it of him either but how well do we know Duo?"

"He risked his life, right there beside us during the war. He saved our lives countless times. I think we know him well enough," he said harshly. That Trowa could even begin to question Duo's integrity and worse of all in regards to his son, made him hot with anger.

"People change Heero. Look at us. We aren't the same people we were during the wars. We aren't even the same people we were two months ago."

"People don't go from saving the world one day to randomly killing people the next."

"It's been four years, Heero."

"I know how long it's been, Trowa," he said loudly. "People don't change like that. He wouldn't change like that."

"He was unhappy here, Heero. He once said that nothing was going right for him now that the war was over. How do we know that he didn't get mixed up with splicing when the fad first started? Duo is a chemical genius. It wouldn't take too much to go from making bombs to sequencing recombinant formulas."

"So what are you saying, Trowa? That Duo plans to turn his life around by inventing some new form of splicing? That he fathered a child and used his own son as a guinea pig?"

"Yes," he answered, quietly.

"Get out."

"Heero," Trowa started, shocked.

"Get out of my office!"

"Heero, I know how you feel about Duo but you can't let your feelings cloud your judgment," Trowa pleaded.

"I said get out," he hissed through clenched teeth

Trowa looked at him with hurt eyes and a solemn face, but wiped the expression, the emotion away to rise from Heero's chair and slowly make his way to the door. He said nothing as he moved past Heero. The only sound left between them was the sound of the office door clicking shut.

###

Sunday morning, Heero's unofficial off day, found him standing outside of the home of Milliardo Peacecraft, or Zechs for short. He made it a habit to visit the homebound man as much as possible, usually every Sunday when work didn't pull him away.

Two years ago on a routine shuttle ride traveling from the space station, Helios, to Mars the shuttle had exploded killing the three other passengers and leaving Zechs horribly wounded. The doctors claimed he was lucky to be alive with the injuries he'd sustained along with the amount of time he'd spent drifting in space among the ship's debris. His entire left side was ravaged, his arm and his leg torn away along with most of his face. Reconstructive surgery was out of the question as most of the shrapnel that was now imbedded in his skin was what kept him alive, although in constant pain.

Zech's manservant and trained caretaker, Wimbly, the only person he allowed into his home on a permanent basis, greeted Heero at the door informing him that Mr. Peacecraft was outside waiting for him. Making his way to the back of the house and out the patio doors, he found Zechs in his wheelchair situated at the far end of the deck, turned away with his usual hood pulled over his head, keeping his face shadowed. As always wore loose, dark attire that covered his body, with a blanket thrown on for extra cover but it did little to hide his misshapen shape.

"When-are you going-to stop wasting-your time with me?" Zechs asked, each little pause he took to suck in air was accentuated by the faint sound of metal rattling in his throat and chest.

"When you stop asking me that," Heero said, lying. He took a seat at the small patio table in the middle of the deck, giving Zechs his space but still within hearing range.

Heero knew that while Zechs appreciated his company, he loathed it as well. He hated to be looked at, to be looked after and cared for. It was hard for the man to get up everyday in the condition he was in, knowing that the few short years he had left would be tempered with pain and agony.

"I have-another surgery scheduled."

"When?"

"Next week. They'll be-removing shrapnel-from my-leg. The doctor says-it should relieve-some of the pain."

"That's good to hear."

"It's bullshit. I hurt-all over," he wheezed. "But Relena-insists."

"I can talk to her if you want."

"No. She means well. I know-this is hard for her too."

"If you don't want the surgery, Zechs-"

"How is your case coming," he rushed and Heero knew it cost him as the other man started to cough. He quickly poured a glass of water from the pitcher left conveniently by Wimbly, taking it to Zechs. He held the glass out, staying within Zechs' comfort zone as the man accepted the glass, taking small sips.

Heero had seen Zechs face the day he'd been transferred, still in a coma from the space station to a hospital on L1. The right side of his face had been twisted and burned while the left…the left had been a mess of skin, bones and metal welded together. His left cheek had been nothing but frayed tendons at the time but with what little the doctors could do the hole had been patched with skin grafts. They did nothing to improve his looks but afforded him with the ability to eat without pieces of food escaping the side of his face.

If there was anything Zechs was more self-conscious about it was his face and he absolutely refused to let anyone look at him after he'd seen the damage for the very first time.

"Tell me-about the case," Zechs repeated as Heero returned to his seat. He had to contain the hot flash of anger he felt recalling his conversation with Trowa from the previous day.

"We've found a few new leads," Heero started. Although it was against policy to discuss a case with anyone not assigned to the case, Heero indulged Zechs' curiosity filling him in on all the details of the case so far. Several times in the last two years he'd come to Zechs merely to visit and ended up telling all about his current cases and many times Zechs' insight had led to his team drawing closer to their goal of catching their perpetrator.

"Janet," he said slowly, "You shouldn't-treat her like a suspect. She's a mother-protecting her child."

"She knows something. Either where Duo is or who's responsible for Kitten's splicing."

"Have you-considered that-Kitten was entrusted-into her care-for safe keeping?"

"From whom?"

"Everyone. His splicing-is a miracle."

"That's true," Heero said, pausing before asking, "Do you think Duo could be Dr M?"

He took minute to explain Trowa's harebrained theory hoping that the older man would not agree.

Zechs was quiet for a moment, thinking. "It is possible, but I think-you're looking for-two different-people."

"Two?"

"One that succeeded-and a bad-copycat."

It made sense to Heero when he thought about it that way. Kitten being alive and what he was, was a scientific miracle. If the doctor who'd done his splicing had gone public back when he'd first found out that his procedure was a success he would be the award winning scientist Dr. M sought to be. Instead, Dr M was trying to recreate another man's work to pass off as his own.

"Your Dr M-may have been involved-with your mystery doctor. Maybe a lab assistant. You should-follow up-on Kitten's splicing."

"Kitten's public defender is making it hard for us to make in leeway in that area. She won't allow me to question him in regards to his splicing as it may implicate Hughes and she isn't talking."

"Is Duo-really Kitten's-father?"

"Yes," Heero said confused. He'd already explained this once to Zechs. "They have seven alleles in common and Kitten ID'd him as his father."

"Seven alleles. And the rest?"

"I'm not sure. What are you getting at?"

"Is he Duo's son-or Duo's clone."

"A clone," Heero whispered to himself. That opened up a fountain of possibilities that could potentially lead to Duo not being involved in the case at all. While Heero held out hope that Duo was not the villain in the twisted story he called a case, he wanted to find Duo one way or another.

His phone ringing cut off any other thoughts that he might have had as reached into his pocket to retrieve the phone.

"Yuy, here."

"Boss, we've got a problem," Weber said, his uncertainty carrying through the phones speaker.

"What's going on?"

"Well you know that foster family that's supposed to be watching Kitten?"

"Yes."

"Well, they kinda lost him."


	10. Nine

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

Heero arrived at the Bonham residence in less than ten minutes, but was forced to park down the street as both Preventor and police cars littered the area making it impossible to get a spot close to the small house. He popped the hood of the trunk before getting out of the car to walk around and find an extra Preventors' jacket. Pulling it over the white button down he'd worn to Zech's house, he made his way up the street to the front of the house where Weber met him.

"There's no forced entry, just his bedroom window left open. Denvers is in there interrogating the foster parents and fingerprinting everything."

"Why is she here?"

"They called the police first when they found him missing, then us. And you know how she is," Weber said shaking his head as they moved pass several uniformed officers waiting just inside the house.

"Have we started searching for him?"

"Yeah, Barton's at HQ making sure he doesn't go there. Price and Hayers are roaming the streets to make sure he isn't trying to find his dad and Gemmell's on her way here."

Heero didn't want to imagine the three year old wandering the streets of L1 in a misguided attempt to find his father. He'd already been kidnapped once in the last few days and it was sheer luck that he'd been found only a little worse for wear.

"When did they notice him missing?"

"At around ten this morning, when they went to get him up for breakfast."

They made their away around several more uniformed officers as Weber led Heero to the bedroom. Along the way, he noticed that the house was very neat and open, with many pictures hanging on the walls. Several CSI's were moving around the different rooms collecting evidence, dusting for fingerprints and generally making a mess of the small home.

"Did they check on him anytime in the night?"

"The last time was around eleven. Mrs. Bonham says he was asleep when she came in and the window was closed. This is the room," Weber said gesturing to the open door.

The small bedroom was painted a medium blue with a matching dresser and bed set. Denvers stood at the small window in question, dressed smartly in a black pantsuit with heels hovering over a CSI as he dusted the frame. A blond haired woman sat in the edge of the bed, her eyes red and puffy from crying, wringing a handkerchief in her hands.

"Mrs. Bonham, this is Commander Yuy. Commander this Helen Bonham," Weber said in way of introduction.

"Mrs. Bonham," Heero said nodding.

"Commander, my men and I are handling this case. We don't need you here," Denver said glaring at Heero, her hands on her hips.

"The boy is apart of an ongoing Preventors investigation. He was placed into Mrs. Bonham's care when we were forced to take his Nana into custody," Heero said trying to convey to the woman the importance of the missing boy.

"How is it that every case on L1 is your case?"

"Lieutenant Denvers, this boy has already been kidnapped once this week and almost sold at an Auction. All I care about is finding him. If you want to lead, fine, but let's concentrate on finding him," he said willing to let the woman take all the credit she could as long as she helped find the boy.

She looked at him for a moment, before nodding. "I have several men canvassing the neighborhood looking for him. So far we haven't found anything that suggests kidnapping."

"He was so sad when the officers brought him to the house yesterday," Mrs. Bonham said, "I didn't think anything of it. Most of the kids who come to stay are miserable for the first few days until they get used to being here."

"Did he say anything particular? That he missed his Nana or his father?"

"No, he just asked how anyone would find him if he was here and he moped but that's normal." She shook her head, twisting her hands around the cloth, "I should have checked on him sooner. I should have watched him better."

"Don't beat yourself up. You couldn't have known that he'd run off," Weber said.

While Heero didn't want to blame the woman for the boy's disappearance he couldn't help but want to place the blame somewhere. If Bonham had watched him more carefully, if he had fought the judge's decision more, if Rains hadn't been a part of the case, Kitten wouldn't be missing now. Just when more and more pieces of his case were falling into place, the key component had gone missing.

"We need to broaden our search. It's possible that he's been missing for over eleven hours now. He could be anywhere. How many people can the department spare to help us look?" Heero asked Denver.

"If we can get a recent photo I can get it out to all the patrol cars on L1."

"The hospital took photographs of all the children, we can get a copy of theirs," Weber added. "Should we put out an Amber Alert?"

"Yes, we need to find him before he falls into the wrong hands," Heero answered even as Weber pulled out his mobile phone to call the hospital. He moved aside as the man stepped out of the room to carry-on his conversation with the staff.

"The wrong hands?" Denvers questioned.

"His splicing may be in connection to Dr. M. I want to find him before Dr. M has a chance to."

"Damn, you don't do anything by halves, do you, Yuy?"

"Obviously not," he deadpanned. "Is there anything else you can tell us, Mrs. Bonham? Even the smallest detail will could go a long way to finding him."

The foster mother shook her head, wringing her hands, "He didn't say much at all. I don't know what I can tell you. I've never had a child runaway before."

Heero started as his phone rang, interrupting him before he had a chance to answer the woman and reassure that this was not her fault, that Kitten was certainly a very special case. Looking at the caller ID and reading Trowa's name and number there, he hoped that his second was calling him with some good news.

"Yuy, here."

"There's been another death."

###

"Francis King, nineteen years old, admitted to Plainsboro four days ago. TOD was at eleven 'o' seven a.m. from internal organ failure." Trowa read from a notebook he usually kept stored in his coat pocket. The two stood alone in the hospital morgue save for the body of Francis that lay on a metal slab. The deceased man's skin glowed under the fluorescent lighting, pale and white. Long yellow-tipped, white feathers graced the top of his head, replacing what had started life as blond hair.

"Why didn't anyone at the hospital call us when he first came in?" Heero asked his voice echoing in the cold, sterile room. Three of the four walls were lined in green tile while the fourth housed the metal coolers containing the hospital's dead. Several tables used specifically for autopsies sat in the center of the room, thankfully empty of bodies.

"The nurse who admitted him says she didn't know it was mandatory to call us in on splicing cases like this."

"She's lying. The system should prompt them when the information is keyed in," he said assured in the knowledge that the software he and the computer techs had worked up and uploaded to all of the hospital's mainframes across L1 would have given the nurse all the information she needed to get in contact with the Preventors.

"The splicing's not on file."

"Then I want the entire hospital brought up on charges for obstruction of justice and negligence. Have the nurse and the primary doctor brought down to headquarters."

"They're already in custody. I've sent Gemmell to search his apartment, who do want to partner with her?"

"Send Weber. I want Price and Hayers to keep looking for Kitten."

"Do you want me to talk to Janet Hughes again?"

"I'll take care of it."

"Heero," Trowa murmured.

He looked up at the taller man seeing the hurt still in his eyes over the incident yesterday. While logically, he knew Trowa was right to suggest Duo as a possible suspect, in his chest it felt wrong as if somehow he would be betraying Duo to think such a thing of him. After the many times Duo had risked his life for both Heero and Trowa, along with the rest of the world he couldn't believe that acts so unethical could have been perpetrated by him.

He sighed, "I don't want to fight with you, or be mad at you. You were right to suggest Duo as a suspect."

"But you don't believe it."

"No, but I will put it on the table."

"I don't want him to be involved anymore than you do, Heero, but we'd be remiss if we didn't consider it."

"I know," he said drawing that line of conversation to a close. "Let's head back to headquarters. I'm hoping that Hughes can give us an idea of what direction Kitten might be headed in."

###

Janet Hughes had had nothing to say. She'd sat silently while Heero questioned her, while Joyanne assured her that Kitten really was missing, and while Rains pleaded with her to help the investigation.

Susan Dennison on the other hand had no problem talking about anything and everything. The Plainsboro nurse wanted desperately to find a way out of the situation that she'd found herself in while her lawyer was trying to do everything in his power to shut her up.

"Dr. Kenny said that it was alright to leave the splicing off the file. He said he would take care of everything."

"Ms. Dennison, please," her lawyer pleaded.

"You should be asking him what's going on, not me. I was just following the doctor's orders."

"What were his orders exactly?"

"He said that he would handle it, that we didn't need to enter the splicing because that wasn't what was causing the organ failure."

"Then why not list it? Anyone who has splicing done has to be reported to the authorities. All the hospitals on L1 are under a government issued mandate to turn over that information."

"He said it would be okay. That we'd give him the antidote and he'd go home and not have to go to jail for wanting to be different," she explained and her lawyer sighed rubbing his face with his hand.

"So you knowingly went against procedure on the orders of Dr. Kenny?"

"Yes. No! I mean, I was doing what I was told by the doctor. I didn't think any harm would come from it. And Kristen, Julia, and Deana knew about it too. Why weren't they arrested? I mean they broke the law too."

"I'll be sure to have them arrested as well."

"No, that's not what I meant!"

###

Dr. Jon Kenny was not as overindulgent as Dennison or as closed-lipped as Hughes, but nonetheless the man was ready to talk. He sat in the interrogation room his hands sitting his lap, handcuffed. He still wore his lab coat and looked every bit pristine, but his eyes betrayed the sadness and grief he felt.

"Francis is, was, my nephew. When he came into the hospital, I asked the other nurses to leave the splicing off his file because I didn't want him to go to jail. Don't punish the others for following my orders. "

"The other women have already incriminated themselves in this by admitting to their involvement."

"They were only doing what I asked. I didn't want my nephew to go to jail. I didn't know the splicing was what was causing his illness. I didn't think he'd be so stupid."

Heero remained quiet letting the man talk.

"A cockatoo. He spliced himself with a cockatoo. The stupidest thing I've ever heard of, tampering with your DNA and for what? To bleed out in a hospital bed for a few feathers on your head," he said somberly.

"Did he tell you anything about the splicing," Heero asked quietly.

"I don't know very much," he answered.

"Dr. Kenny, I know that this is hard on you but I need to know whatever he might have told you. There are other people in the same position who we could help if we can find the doctor who did his splicing."

"I know he had it done a few weeks ago but where and by who, I don't know. He was barely breathing when he came into the hospital. He kept making these strange clucking noises whenever he tried to speak."

"Clucking noises, Dr. Kenny?"

"It's the best way I know how to describe it. His head would jerk forward and he would cluck. I thought he was choking at first."

"Were there any another strange behaviors? Anything else animal like?" Heero asked worried that Dr. M might actually be getting closer to whatever goal he was searching for, which would make it harder to find him once his formula was perfected.

"No," Kenny answered shaking his had. "That was it. Would he still be alive if I had turned him over to you? Could your doctors have saved him?"

Heero looked the man in the eye saw that he was hurting and looking for that final push into damnation and couldn't lie to him. "No."

###

"Have we found anything on Kitten?" Heero asked coming into the conference room where Trowa, Hayers and Price waited. It was close to midnight and the day was yet to be over as they were still trying to follow up on Kitten's whereabouts and still searching for the ever-elusive Dr. M.

Both Lanie the snow leopard and Emmett the hedgehog were both on constant watch by both doctors and nurses but with no improvement. Lanie was already connected to life support and her condition continued to deteriorate as Emmett was quickly following behind her, his organs beginning to shut down one at a time. They didn't have much longer left to live.

Heero noticed the new addition to the conference room: a large bulletin board with a map of L1 attached with several blue pins tacked into different spots congregated together making a rather haphazard line.

"We got a couple of calls from different people who claim to have seen him at some time since he disappeared sometime last night," Trowa said.

"So far from what we've gathered Kitten was first spotted sometime around two a.m. by a woman named Enna. She says she saw him outside of her home on Hampton Street. Here." Hayers said pointing to one of the blue pins. Hampton Street was only to blocks over from the Bonham residence, which gave them the time at which the boy had snuck out of the house.

"Then a call from Gloria saying that she saw him making his way down Shichan Street," Price added pointing to the next pen.

"Then Aleera spotted him on Towners at around four in the morning."

"Did none of these people attempt to stop him?" Heero asked, interrupting the list.

"Actually a few of them did but the moment they turned their back on him he was gone," Hayers answered. "We talked to some of them in person even and they couldn't explain how they'd lost him so quickly."

"Who was the last to see him?"

"We're not sure. It's between Shannon and Vel who both saw him heading towards the shuttle port at around the same time. We don't have anything for him after five this morning."

"Why would he be going towards a shuttle port? Have we contacted the shuttle port officials to see if he made it that far?"

"So far the port hasn't found any evidence of him there, but they're still working through the tapes from last night and today to see if he was in or around the port," Trowa said.

"He said his father is on L1 right?" Hayers asked.

"Yes but there's no way to know for sure," Price answered.

"Is there a chance he could have stowed away on a shuttle?" Heero asked.

"The port should have tighter security than that," Trowa said.

"He managed to get away from several good Samaritans, who's to say that he couldn't slip pass the port staff."

"He's only three, not a-"

"Commander!" cried Gemmell, shouting as she ran into the conference room out of breath with Weber on her heels.

"What is it?"

"I figured it out! I know who Dr. M is!"

"What?"

"Well you know how I was checking into the vets? Well when we got to Francis' apartment we found his pet cockatoo!"

"And?" Hayers prompted.

"We found out who his vet was. A Dr Gabriel Murai. The last time he took his cockatoo to the vet was four weeks ago, right around the time he was spliced."

"That isn't enough to get us a warrant," Heero said although he was excited to have a more definite lead.

"No, but remember how Pepper was spliced with a dog?"

"A Patterdale terrier, to be exact," Weber added.

"Yeah, well, she just so happened to have a Patterdale terrier that died a couple of months ago. And," Gemmell said with emphasis, "She just so happened to have had her dog treated by Dr. Murai before he died."

"Holy shit," Hayers said, "We've got him."


	11. Ten

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

Heero appreciated that no one ever tried to make stakeouts glamorous on television. Of course, there were the few romance movies where the detective who'd enlisted the aid of a civilian would have a romantic and most times unrealistic moment in the car; more often than not, the tedious and agonizing wait was showed. Sitting in the same spot for over six hours with Trowa and a dozen energy drinks for company, watching the same building for signs of Dr. Murai's movements was not action-packed or an edge-of-your-seat adventure.

For two days, the team stalked the veterinarian, a tall blonde-haired man with bright blue eyes. He was in his late fifties though his open, smiling face took years off his age. He reminded Heero of Treize Kushrenada, with the ease and grace he carried himself. It was easy to see why so many with would trust him with their lives, even with so many reports to the contrary.

He ran a small animal clinic in one of the poorer districts of L1, no doubt preying on college students and teenagers alike. So far, he'd done nothing out of the ordinary for a vet. He'd taken a few house calls, which the team was quick to follow up on, gone to work, to the grocery store and home. As of day three, Heero was more than ready for the man to try to splice someone.

Worry and stress kept the man up the few times he tried to lay down to sleep. Kitten had now been missing for over three days and the situation had only gotten worse as the shuttle port called to confirm that someone on the staff had indeed seen him. The flight attendants for a commercial shuttle to L2 had a very nice time keeping the toddler company on the flight after finding him walking up and down the aisles looking for food. The consensus was to call the authorities once they docked on L2. Unfortunately, Kitten was very obviously trained in stealth and managed to slip away from them.

Now the three year old was somewhere on L2, roaming the streets and Heero couldn't help but wonder if the boy even realized that he had left the colony at all. The Preventors Branch of L2 were now in charge of finding the boy and an Amber Alert had been administered to help in his recovery, but so far no one had anything to report.

On top of the distressing news in regards to Kitten, Lanie had died the night before from organ failure. The machines for life support had only been able to do so much in keeping her alive and in the end Dr. Murai's twisted DNA had won out corrupting her system far beyond the machine's capabilities. It was only a matter of time before Emmett died as well, as he now was connected to machines that worked day and night to keep him alive.

He popped the top on yet another can of energy drink, chugging the foul tasting mix. It was close to four p.m., Dr. Murai would be closing shop soon, and with any luck, shedding his lacquered exterior of a well-meaning vet to become the mad scientist Heero and his team had come to hate.

"If you drink anymore of those your heart will stop."

Heero grunted in response.

"You need sleep."

"I can't. I'm worried about Kitten."

"If he's anything like Duo, he's probably having the time of his life."

"He's somewhere lost on L2 where we can't look for him ourselves."

"The agents there are just as capable as we are."

"No they're not," Heero said irritably, "And once they find him, what will stop him from sneaking away again."

"Nothing, if he's truly determined but I think they can convince him to stay put."

"By lying. Saying we know where his father is or that his Nana is out of jail."

"Yes," Trowa agreed before adding, " but his safety is our first concern, his feelings second."

"I know that," he said scrubbing his face with his hands, "It's just…"

"You need sleep."

"How can you sleep with him missing?"

"I know that everything that can be done to find him is being done. I've done everything I can to help. We'll find him."

"I don't feel like I'm doing enough. I should have insisted that he stay at headquarters. I should have fought the judge's decision. I should be on L2 right now looking for him." He sighed, pressing his face against the cool glass of the window.

"You can only do so much and right now our priority is finding out if Dr. Murai is our Dr. M and stopping him from killing more people."

"Do you think he's our guy?"

"The physical description matches from what the others told us and Gemmell brought us good linking evidence."

"The phone records and the DNA."

Both Pepper and Francis had made phone calls to the vet to schedule their appointments and both had later received phone calls from the vet's office and a disposable cell phone number, all prior to the original splicing. Pepper had been part of the group whose splicing lasted for three months before killing them while Francis was a part of the newer three-week group. Francis had also had several envelopes full of money in common with Pepper as well. It helped to establish both a timeline and pattern for how some of the liaisons were acquired.

Along with the phone records, they'd been able to match the DNA of dog hairs taken from Pepper's apartment to the DNA she'd been spliced with. A perfect match along with Francis and his pet cockatoo. The doctor seemed to be playing on the emotions of people's love for their pets to convince them to try splicing and to work for him and towards his goal.

"Yes and all we need now is to catch him in the act and we can put him away."

An hour later Dr. Murai left the clinic, locking the doors behind him, making his way to his sedan with Heero and Trowa as his shadow as he drove home.

The doctor had been very careful about his spending and activities. Not one disposable cell phone was found on any of his credit card statements as well as there being no splicing equipment charged to his account. He didn't make contact with anyone who was spliced and was never seen talking to anyone suspicious or entering an establishment that would seem uncommon for a vet. Therefore, it was of the utmost importance that they caught the man in the act of splicing. They needed both him and the contents of his current lab if they were going to save lives.

Parked outside of his home for less than thirty minutes, the two agents were surprised to note that the doctor wouldn't be staying in for the night, as he reemerged still dressed in the same chocolate brown suit with his lab coat thrown over his arm.

Heero alerted the team that the man was on the move as Trowa pulled away from the street to follow him at a safe distance with Heero giving directions to the team. Within twenty minutes, they were downtown parked across the street of a windowed storefront with a 'For Rent' sign taped into the inside of the window. None of Dr. Murai's holdings included a downtown store yet the key he carried easily opened the door on the side of the building.

"This is it," Heero said already feeling the adrenaline pumping through his veins.

"Not yet. We need to wait until a customer shows up," Trowa said to Heero.

Heero nodded, "Tell the team to be on the look out for anyone approaching the building."

Trowa did as he was told relaying the team's locations back to Heero. Gemmell and Weber were watching the building from a side street in view of the building while Hayers and Price were on the opposite street behind the building keeping watch.

They waited. For almost an hour, there were no signs of life in or around the building, just the usual passersby, walking to their intended destination. Heero was dying to make a move but if they didn't catch him in the act, the entire case would fall through. It wasn't enough for Heero to charge the man with unlicensed possession of splicing equipment; he wanted to, needed to charge him with the murders of the sixty-two people he'd killed to date.

"Look," Trowa said drawing his attention to a dark-haired girl. Dressed in a black and red plaid skirt, black tee and clunky, studded boots, reading something on a yellow post-it note. She raised her head every now and then to the street numbers embossed into the storefronts until she came to the building Dr. Murai had disappeared into. Moving down the alley she stopped outside the door, knocking.

Trowa was already on the radio telling Gemmell and Weber that it was time to move in as the door swung open admitting the girl. Heero, himself, informed Hayers and Price of the development, instructing them to cover the building from the outside in case one of them tried to run.

Heero and Trowa moved as one out of the car and quickly across the street. They stood flat against the wall on opposite sides of the door, guns drawn and pointed up. Heero looked over to Trowa who nodded, reaching out to take the handle of the door. Pulling it open, Heero slipped in quickly staying low while Trowa followed behind him closing the door quietly. They were in the back of the building in a dark hallway. The only light that suffused the dark space came from underneath a door directly ahead of them where the quiet hum of machinery could be heard.

Taking the hall in three quick strides the came upon the door, pushing it open to reveal what must have been the break room. Several vending machines lined one wall, covered in dust, powered down and out of use. Two walls were lined with lockers, their doors hanging open, empty. In the center sat four tables filled with equipment. Computers and glassware in all shapes filled with different colored liquids. The girl sat in a steel chair that had leather straps on the arms and legs ready to restrain as she leaned over to look at whatever the doctor was showing her on one of the screens of his computers.

They both jumped at Heero and Trowa's entrance the girl dashing out of the chair towards the only other door only to be pushed back by Gemmell and Weber's entrance.

"Don't move," Heero ordered. "You're under arrest."

His gun, trained on Dr. Murai's face, never wavered as the blonde man looked at him with hate and contempt.

"You don't know what you're doing," he hissed.

"Put your hands where I can see them."

The doctor stood in the middle of the four tables looking between Heero and Trowa to where Gemmell and Weber were forcing the girl down on the ground.

"Don't move," Trowa said too late as the doctor lifted a rack of test tubes throwing them in their direction. They dodged and the vials burst against the wall the liquid hissing and popping as it evaporated into colored smoke.

The doctor ducked behind the table tossing test tubes and beakers as if they were grenades sending everyone scrambling around the room. Heero found himself nearly belted in the face twice by the strange chemicals as he tried to move closer to the tables. The room was quickly filling with rainbow colored smoke, making it impossible to see who was where.

"He's at the door," he heard Trowa yell from the other side of the room and took that to mean that the doctor was trying to leave through the other exit. He braved the colored smoke making a run for the exit. This door led directly into another alley and Heero had to back pedal taking cover behind the door as a vial broke only inches from his face against the side of the brick wall of the opposite building.

Using the door as cover, he peeked around its frame just as another vial came hurling towards him. Moving back against the open door he waited until he heard the bottle splash harmlessly against the door before looking back again. The alley was empty but he was headed in the direction of Hayers and Price. He moved into the alley to follow when the sounds of a woman shrieking and Trowa calling his name, pulled him back.

He reentered the break room now cleared of smoke to find Trowa and Weber pinning Gemmell to the ground where she screamed and writhed in pain. Her arms were growing longer, not just growing but changing before his eyes. As he watched, they became boneless moving fluidly as her fingers and thumb formed together into a curling tip.

"One of the vials hit her full on," Weber said through clenched teeth, losing control of the arm he held. He reached for the failing limb hissing as instead it wrapped around his arms, the newly grown suction cups attaching to his bare skin.

Trowa fought to keep his place by Gemmell's side as the appendage slid him back and forth across the linoleum as Gemmell flailed in pain. Heero dropped to his knees holding down her legs as she continued to buck and scream. He shouted at the dark-haired woman to call an ambulance as he and the two other men attempted to keep Gemmell still.

"Shit," Trowa said and Heero followed his gaze, looking down in horror as first one shoe then the other fell off of Gemmell's feet, revealing worm-like appendages that were pointed and squirming inside of her socks. From where Heero held her, he could feel the bones melting away to tight muscles that twitched and wriggled under his hands.

"She's changing color," Weber said frantically and Heero looked back up to where blue-purple tentacles wrapped around Trowa and Weber.

Her chest heaved once, twice as she gulped down air her screaming cut short by a strange gurgling sound rising in her chest. She opened her mouth wide coughing, forcing a dark liquid up and out of her lungs like a geyser.

"Oh my God! Is that ink?" Weber asked as twice more she expelled the dark substance.

"She's choking," Heero said, "We need to turn her on her side."

He straddled her legs shifting her hips towards Weber has Trowa followed his lead, moving his hands under her back to help roll her over. She coughed again, forcing more and more liquid up, to pool around her head staining her red hair. She wheezed, the sound painful to listen to as she tried to breathe.

"Should we move her? Get her into some water?" Weber asked.

"It's the ink; her lungs are filled with it. If you don't get her to a hospital soon, she'll drown."

"Can't you just poke a hole in her lung so the ink can get out?"

All the three men turned to glare at the woman huddled in the corner watching them all with wide-eyes.

"That could collapse her lung and do more harm than good," Trowa said.

"Did you call the ambulance?" Heero asked.

"Yes they're on their way."

The next ten minutes were agony as they waited quietly, the three agents holding

Gemmell down as her limbs continued to flail and jerk as she struggled to draw breath around the ink filling her lungs and throat. They watched the paramedics rush in with unmeasured relief, pulling a stretcher piled with equipment with them.

"What happened here?"

"She was hit with splicer recombinant. She can't breathe. Ink is filling her lungs," Heero told the paramedics as they moved in around them.

"She won't let go," Weber said, "The cups are stuck to my arms."

"She has me, too," Trowa said trying to pull the tentacle wrapped around his chest away from him.

"We'll have to try sedating them," one of the paramedics said opening his kit to pull out two syringes. Passing one to his partner they injected the limbs and within moments they fell away limp, but the suction cups still latched to Weber's skin. The taller man braved having the cups and his skin forcefully peeled from his body with only minor cries of pain.

Once free, the paramedics loaded her onto the gurney and into the back of the ambulance along with Weber to treat his arms. Heero and Trowa waited at the scene long enough for other agents to show up, take the dark-haired woman away, and secure the scene before making their way to the hospital.

###

"Her chances aren't very good, Commander. Unless we can find an antidote, she has three days and that's being optimistic."

Heero stood in the corner of the hospital room far removed from the bed where nurses were gently sponging the tentacles that had grown in place of Lucy's arms and legs. There were tubes running in and out of her chest, one supplying air while another pumped the ink from inside her body.

"Is she in pain?"

"Yes, but we've put her into a drug-induced coma so that she won't suffer."

"How severe is her condition?"

"She was hit with a concentrated dose of octopus recombinant. She has a second heart growing along side the first that could put too much stress on the rest of her body if it continues to grow."

"Can you remove it?"

"Yes but there is the off chance that another heart will begin to form. Her body isn't up to having one surgery let alone two."

"Three days?"

"At the most."

###

Leaving Lucy's room, Heero made his way back to the waiting room where Hayers and Price waited looking somber. After Weber had had his wounds treated he refused to sit waiting for the doctors to break the bad news to him and had gone back to process the scene. Trowa went along with him, leaving Heero to hear the news alone.

"Did you catch him?"

"I'm sorry, Commander," Hayers said, bowing his head.

"Hayers managed to take him high in the shoulder but once the shot went off people panicked. We lost him in the crowd."

"I want his face on every channel, every billboard, and every newspaper on L1. I don't want to be able to walk down the street without seeing his face somewhere. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Commander."

"Then why are you still standing here?"

Hayers and Price looked between each other before Hayers spoke, "How is she?"

"She's dying," Heero told them.

"Oh no," Price said letting out a heavy breath. She blinked back the tears forming in her eyes, pulling herself together with a stern face reigning in her emotions. She grabbed the wide-eyed Hayers by his collar dragging him from the room.

###

Rage. Blinding, seething, hot rage was coursing through Heero's veins as he sat alone in the team's conference room. His nails dug into the palms of his hand as he shook with anger. His nerves were frayed and on edge.

Duo was missing.

Kitten was missing.

Lanie was dead.

Emmett was dead.

Lucy was dying.

Dr. Murai was on the loose.

He wanted answers.

Shoving the chair away, he stormed out of the room and down to the hold. The agent on duty spoke to him but Heero ignored the man ripping the cardkeys from his hip. Moving past him, down the hall to Hughes cell where forced the card through the reader. Fisting

her shirt, he forced her upright on the bed.

"You're going to tell me everything I want to know or I'll make you regret it."

The old woman gripped his hand staring at him with wide frightened eyes, shaking her head. He shook her, hard, making her gasp. He felt no pity for the woman. She wouldn't even tell them what park she took Kitten to play at when he'd gone missing. She was more willing to protect the man behind his splicing than be worried about his whereabouts.

"How do you know Dr. M? Tell me!"

When she didn't answer, he twisted his hand in her top drawing her closer, yelling in her face, "Where is Duo?"

"No," she breathed in fear.

"Tell me!"

"Heero, that's enough," said a voice to his right as restraining hand clamped down on his arm.

He pulled away long enough to look up at the man holding him. Black hair pulled tight into a low ponytail, dark, piercing eyes, and a stern expression greeted him.

"Wu Fei."


	12. Eleven

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

Heero jerked, releasing Hughes' shirt to step away from Wu Fei. He hadn't seen the man since he'd become a Major, working exclusive with the Preventors Hostage and Rescue Team, almost a year ago. He wore a crisp Preventors' uniform, though his coat was decorated with gold pins marking him as a Major.

"We need to talk," Wu Fei said.

"No, not until I get some answers from her." He said pointing at Hughes. He'd committed himself to getting answers from the woman and he wouldn't let anyone stop not even Wu Fei.

Wu Fei's gaze flicked to the frightened woman then back to Heero, "This isn't the way to do it."

"She knows where Duo is. She knows where Kitten's gone. She knows all about Dr. M and she is going to tell me."

"Or what?" Wu Fei asked crossing his arms.

"Or maybe I'll do to her what he did to Lucy," he said to Wu Fei. He turned to Hughes invading her space again, "How would you like to have tentacles for arms and legs and your lungs filled with ink?"

She paled and leaned away, looking at any and everything but Heero.

"She isn't the one who hurt Lucy."

"No, but she might as well have. She's protecting that monster. They had to put her into coma she was in so much pain," Heero said his voice cracking with anguish.

"Heero," Wu Fei said his hands out, placating.

"Kitten is somewhere on L2. L2! And she couldn't be bothered to tell us his favorite places to go so we could try and find him," he yelled pointing at Hughes.

He looked again at the woman who was now blinking back tears her hands covering her mouth. He wanted to grab her again, to shake the answers out of her. Lives were at stake and still she sat silent, trying to contain emotions that Heero didn't believe the old woman felt.

"If anything happens to him it's your fault," he said then laughed unconsciously at himself. "What am I saying? You don't even care about him. What is it? Did you buy him at an Auction? Is he your pet?"

"Heero, that's enough," Wu Fei said putting a calm, yet restraining hand on Heero's upper arm. No doubt the other man knew that he was a hair trigger away from seriously hurting the woman.

"No! Everyone keeps telling me to go easy on her. That she's just protecting someone she loves," he said to Wu Fei before turning back to Hughes, "You aren't protecting anyone but a madman who experiments on children and kills innocent people."

"Eric would never do anything like that!" she yelled suddenly and regretted it instantly, quickly covering her mouth again.

"Who is Eric?" Wu Fei asked before Heero had a chance to recover from the shock of her outburst.

She shook her head, looking away from the two men.

"You see?" He asked Wu Fei. "She doesn't care. Three people have already died this week and Lucy's next. Kitten's still lost somewhere and she won't talk. She's just as bad as Dr. M."

"I don't know who Dr. M is but I know that I'm nothing like him," she said angrily.

"Then give me some answers. Who is Eric?"

"Eric is…" Hughes started. She took a deep breath letting it out in a quiet sigh, "I met him years ago. I worked as his secretary when he owned his own practice. We were friends, lovers, but when the war first started he closed the practice down to help fight for the colonies.

"I didn't hear from him for almost ten years, then one day he came to my house carrying this little boy," she paused, remembering, "He was maybe two then. His ears were as big as his head and the moment I let them in the house he was into everything.

"Eric asked me to take care of him. That it wasn't fair for Kitten to be raised in a lab. It wasn't supposed to be permanent, just a year or two and he would come back for him. He told me that his father was sick but once the treatments were over, he would come back for his son."

"You mean Duo."

"Yes. Eric didn't tell me much. He said the less I knew the better, just that he wanted me to keep the boy safe. Kitten told me about his father. He told me that his name was Duo and that he missed him."

"He showed up at our house after a decade with a little boy who was spliced with a cat and you accepted him without question?" Heero asked.

"Of course I asked questions, but I know that Eric wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone."

"There are people who die every day from splicing. Kitten could have been in danger," he argued.

"Eric assured me that he was healthy and he is. He's never been sick, not so much as a cold."

"Why were you protecting him? Why not tell us before now?"

"Because I know that Eric is doing good work and if I told you anything you would go after him and throw him in jail before he had a chance to explain."

"If his work is so good, why is he hiding it? Why does it involve splicing a toddler?" Wu

Fei asked.

"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me much. Only that it would change lives and that Kitten needed to stay hidden and safe."

"So he entrusted the boy to you. To keep him safe and out of his lab."

"He wanted Kitten to have some normalcy."

"Of course, watching your father being experimented on isn't normal," Heero said acidly.

"Eric is nothing like your Dr. M and neither am I. I have never hurt or abused Kitten. I've loved him as if he were my own son."

Heero had to contain the malicious urge to remind Hughes that her son was a criminal serving consecutive sentences.

"Why didn't you answer us when he went missing? We might have been able to find him had we known where he was headed."

"I thought Eric had found out about my being arrested and had taken Kitten back with him. I thought he was safe."

"Do you know where Eric's lab is?"

"No and I don't know anything about Duo. As I told you, Eric said it was best if I knew as little as possible."

"What was Eric's practice?" Wu Fei asked.

"Veterinarian medicine."

It was almost too much for Heero. First to find that there was indeed a second doctor doing illegal work with splicing, but that he also worked or had worked as vet. It gave more credence to Zechs' theory of a copy-cat doctor. It also meant that whatever 'treatments' the doctor gave to Duo also involved splicing in some way and that the doctor

had possibly been experimenting on him for years. The sudden image of Duo in Lucy's predicament made his stomach turn.

"Is it true that Kitten is on L2?" Hughes asked.

"Yes," Heero said.

"No," Wu Fei said.

"What?" Heero and Hughes asked together, looking to Wu Fei.

"That's what I came here to tell you. I found Kitten," he said smugly.

"How?" Heero asked.

"Apparently Kitten has a love of older women," Wu Fei said sending a pointed look at Hughes, "After he made his way to L2, he ended up staying with an eighty-four year old woman for a few days. When her grandson came looking for her he recognized Kitten from the news and called it in. Sally and I were on a short leave and decided since we were headed this way, we could drop him off."

"You mean he's here and he's safe?" Heero asked all but melting with relief.

"Yes, he's fine. A little too talkative, but fine."

"Can I see him?" Hughes asked.

Heero looked at the woman seriously considering saying no. After the time, effort and worry she could have saved them if she had spoke up sooner, he didn't feel as if she deserved to be in the same room as the boy, but his mission was more important.

"You can once you tell me everything there is to know about Eric."

###

Heero stood in the conference room, his hands flat against the table where he stood looking at his semi-assembled team. Hayers and Price had gone home for the day while Weber continued to work cataloguing the evidence obtained from Dr. Murai's lab somewhere in the building. Trowa sat in his usual seat to Heero's right and Wu Fei, along with Sally Po, filled two of the empty chairs. Kitten was sequestered away in one of the Preventors' dorm rooms fast asleep.

"Why did Kitten go to L2? I thought we'd established that Duo is somewhere on L1," Trowa started.

"Actually, his going to L2 was an accident," Sally answered, "He was trying to find something to eat and followed the smell of the in-flight meal right onto the shuttle. Once he was onboard the flight attendants fed him and kept him company," Sally explained.

"Why didn't they do something? He was obviously an unattached child," Heero said.

Wu Fei frowned answering, "The head attendant thought it would be too much trouble to stop the shuttle and have the pilot re-dock. It was under his orders that the staff continue on and report that they didn't find Kitten until after they had docked on L2."

"We've already filed charges against the crew," Sally added.

"Did he tell you why he left the foster home?" Heero asked.

"Yes, actually," Sally said with a small chuckle, "He was looking for you."

"Me?" Heero asked confused. Surely the boy had left home to find his father not him. He'd only spoken to the boy on very few occasions and couldn't believe that in such a short time that he had become important to him.

"Supposedly, the two of you have a play date and he was afraid you wouldn't be able to find him if he stayed at the home."

"You're kidding," Trowa said just as stunned as Heero felt.

"No, it's true," she said smiling. "He left the foster home to find Heero, decided he was hungry and ended up on a shuttle to L2 and once there found an old woman to keep company."

"Only a child of Duo's could get into so much trouble over nothing," Wu Fei said.

Heero shook his head unwilling to comment on that and instead changed the subject. "We need to look into finding Dr Eric Gervais. He's the one who's holding Duo hostage," Heero said to Trowa. He quickly briefed the other man on the information he and Wu Fei had obtained from Hughes.

"Are you sure?" Trowa asked quietly and Heero knew from the tone that he would not like where the conversation was about to head.

"Sure about what?"

"That this Dr Gervais is holding Duo against his will. He could have volunteered for this treatment."

Heero glared at the man and Trowa made a point of not looking at him.

"There were no signs of foul play when Duo went missing," Wu Fei said, "He could have willingly gone with Dr Gervais. Kitten talked about his father often and made no mention of him being restrained or hurt."

"Or maybe he was forced to cooperate so that his son wouldn't be hurt," Heero snapped.

"I don't think we should jump to conclusions either way. Duo could have been forced into the situation and after what you've told us about Lucy, I imagine that he would do and say anything to not have to go through that kind of pain," Sally said. "We need to find Duo first and get our answers from him."

"We need to start researching Gervais and come up with a plan of attack once we find his location," Heero said.

"Trowa, Sally and I can handle that while you get some rest," Wu Fei said.

"I don't need to rest," Heero argued.

"You haven't slept in almost four days," Trowa chimed in, earning himself another glare from Heero.

"I've gone longer on less sleep."

"Don't make me pull rank, Yuy," Wu Fei said his gaze just as fierce. "You can either get some sleep or I can pull you off of this case. By the time you wake up will be ready to make a move against Dr Gervais but you're not going in unless I think you're one-hundred percent."

Heero clenched his hands into fists but conceded. He wouldn't let this mission happen without him and if it meant that he had to get a few hours of sleep to be at the helm in saving Duo then he would sleep.

###

Heero had all but collapsed in the twin bed the Preventors' dorms had to offer. Every part of him felt weighed down, heavy with stress, worry, excitement, anger and sadness. They were finally moving in the right direction again. Kitten had been found unharmed and he now had Wu Fei and Sally to back him in his mission to find and save Duo, but Dr. Murai was still at large.

Heero tried not to picture the horrifying sight of Lucy turning into something less than human. Tried not to hear the sounds of her shrieking as her body twist and turned in ways it was never meant to move. She had broken the case and had been broken because of it. Now Dr. Murai would try to go further underground, making it harder to find him a second time around. Even with his face practically plastered all over L1 and a bullet in his shoulder he had yet to resurface and Heero feared that more people would die before he was found.

Then there were the thoughts of Duo. Heero tried not to dwell on his confused and jumbled feelings for his comrade, but now he worried about what happened to his friend. What was the sickness that Dr Gervais was treating. Had he gone to this man seeking help or had he been used in some sort of experiment? What was the work he told Kitten he had to do? All those questions ran circles in his head for some time before he was finally able to drift off knowing that they would find him and soon and all of his questions would be answered.

When he woke it was mid-afternoon, but he felt refreshed and ready to take on Dr. Gervais and rescue Duo. He ate a quick lunch in the cafeteria before hunting down Wu Fei and the others. In ten hours they had managed to make a lot of progress. Both finding Dr. Gervais' base of operations as well as settling up surveillance to track the comings and goings of his associates. They'd managed to find out everything out about the man from what size shoe he wore to what pre-school he had attended. So far there was no evidence linking him as an associate of Dr. Murai's but they both practiced in the same field, although Gervais was retired, which meant they had to travel in the same circles.

An hour later found Heero, Wu Fei, Sally and a few Preventors on loan from Commander Chase moving in on the abandoned office building where Dr. Gervais had converted the basement of into a make-shift lab.

There were only two assistants in the outer rooms of the underground lab, and they were quickly and quietly subdued by Sanford and Arnet, while Heero, Wu Fei and Sally continued forward to the main doors which were metal sliding that doors that Heero quickly rewired to open and remain open until he overrode them.

They entered the room as one and Heero's gaze swept the vast room taking in the books, computers and lab equipment that lined every available shelf, table and countertop as well as the medical machinery that lined the walls before his focus was drawn to the left side of the room where a small man stood at the controls of an unknown machine. Before the machine was a homemade structure, consisting of metal paneling that bowed out in a semi-circle with metal shutters in the middle that for the moment were closed. Heero could only imagine that Duo was somewhere inside the closed off room with the machine monitoring his activity until the doctor decided to open the shutters to have a look for himself.

"Don't move," Heero called out levering his gun at the gray-haired man's head as he made his way across the room. "Dr. Gervais, you're under arrest."

"I didn't think you would find me this soon. I doubt that I can convince you to come back in a month's time," the man said turning to Heero. The man looked benign, with light brown eyes, wrinkled skin and graying hair. He wore a lab coat, as all doctors were prone to, over a pair of tweed slacks, an olive shirt and brown tie. He brought his hands up in surrender, looking calm and patient.

"Where is Duo Maxwell?" Heero barked.

Gervais gestured to the observation room carelessly with one hand, "If you'll permit I can open the curtain and you'll be able to see him."

"Do it."

"It doesn't to hurt to be polite, son," he said turning back to the machine. Heero watched him carefully as he pressed one of the many buttons and the metal shutters parted smoothly, revealing not a room, but a tank. Filled with blue-green liquid that through the glass looked thick and viscous, it was like looking into an aquarium; except the fish was one Duo Maxwell who floated deep inside the structure, upright and unawares, with tubes and equipment attached to his body.

"What have you done to him?" Heero asked, trying to discern Duo's features through the murky liquid. He couldn't see his face as a mask of equipment covered it and the dark solution made it hard to make out the rest of his body.

"You make it sound as if I've maimed him," Gervais said affronted. "He's perfectly healthy,"

"Why is he inside that tank?" Wu Fei questioned.

"It's part of the procedure. In a month's time, the treatments will have taken effect and he'll be released."

"What happens if you release him now?" Heero asked.

"It's nothing too drastic, simply if I release him now the work that I've down will go to waste. We'll have to start the final step all over again."

"You're not going to be experimenting on him anymore."

"So you say," Gervais said rather smug as if he could stop Heero from taking Duo away from him and his machinations.

"Let him out of the tank."

"It isn't that simple."

"Then make it simple."

"He is in a sensory-deprivation tank, my boy. He's been inside for months now. He'll be very weak when he comes out and I can't release him until he's aware."

"How long exactly has he been inside the tank?" Sally asked, looking worried.

"For this round of treatment, almost four months," he answered.

"That's-" she started, going pale. Heero wanted desperately to ask what it meant that Duo had been left in that condition for months on end.

"I assure you he has not gone insane. I've taken precautions to keep his mind occupied while his body remains in a constant state of rest."

"That doesn't encourage me," Sally replied, "How do you wake him and is it safe to release him?"

"I take it then that you're the one with a medical background?" He asked Sally.

"Yes."

"Good, I can use you to assist me as my assistants seemed to have disappeared," he said sarcastically looking between Heero and Wu Fei. "I simply need to get his attention. Imagine that he's sleeping and I need to rouse him. Once he's alert, it will be safe to release him". He turned to the machine leaning over the microphone that extended from it. He pressed a button before speaking, "Duo. Duo, my boy, it's time wake up. You have company."

All eyes turned to the tank looking for signs of life but Duo didn't so much as twitch in response.

"The Preventors are here Duo; they would like to talk to you."

Again nothing happened and the doctor turned away from the mike, letting of the button to look at the three assembled Preventors, "Does he by chance know any of you?"

"Yes," they answered in unison.

"Your names, then."

"Wu Fei."

"Sally."

"Heero," he said disgruntled.

"Ah, Heero," Gervais said smiling, before turning back to the mike, "Your friends are here to see you. There's Wu Fei and the beautiful Sally."

There was movement then. Duo's body gave a slight twitch made noticeable by the tubes dancing in the water, then the release of bubbles that floated away from the breathing apparatus around Duo's face.

"And Heero is here," the doctor said and more bubbles surfaced as Duo gave a hard jerk. Heero wasn't sure what to make of the reaction and why his name caused it but it pleased him all the same.

"Is he awake?" he asked.

"Yes," Gervais said, though his attention was on the various buttons he pushed and the read outs the machine gave him. He spoke to Duo through the mike again, "I'm going to start draining the tank Duo. Keep still."

The doctor pulled away from the machine and they watched for a few moments as the fluid drained away from the tank, slowly lowering Duo out of sight of the window.

"My dear if you would follow me," Gervais said to Sally, gesturing for her to follow him around the side of the tank. Heero and Wu Fei followed as well keeping close to the doctor. They had since lowered their weapons but kept a steady eye on the man in case he made a move.

"Give the boy some privacy; he doesn't need you gawking at him," Gervais said sternly, looking at the two of them once they reached the door located on the side of the tank.

"Bad enough that dear Sally will see him at his worse; I refuse to let the two of you do the same."

"I've got it," Sally said nodding to the two of them.

"We need to remove the respirator before the solution completely drains from the room. He hates the thing and will panic if we don't move quickly," Gervais said to Sally.

"I understand. Do you have a stretcher nearby?"

"Yes, in the room to the left, if one of you gentlemen would be so kind as to fetch it."

"Stay here," Wu Fei said touching Heero's arm lightly before moving away to 'fetch' the stretcher.

Hung on the side of the door were several pairs of water proof wading pants to which Gervais handed Sally a pair that she quickly donned as he dressed himself in a pair followed by boots for both of them. Gervais then grabbed a clean gown from a nearby shelf before opening the door to the tank. The door was two feet off the ground to keep water from spilling outward into the lab and the two stepped carefully over the threshold. Heero moved just in time to catch the barest glimpse of Duo, pale and naked floating on his back in the heavy fluid before the door slammed shut in his face.

"Duo."


	13. Twelve

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

"This is a terribly inefficient office. Much too cluttered. How does the man find anything in here?"

Heero shook his head as he watched Gervais meander around Dr. Anderson's office inside the Preventors' clinic. While it was procedure to take a suspect into custody and have them await sentencing in the hold, Gervais had insisted that he had to stay close to Duo in case he was needed. Why he might be needed, the doctor was close-lipped about. After seeing Duo, laying on the stretcher pale and unresponsive, as he'd been wheeled out of the lab Heero had conceded, afraid to take any chances with Duo's life.

After winning that victory, the doctor insisted that he needed to pack both a bag of equipment and chemicals and another with clothes and amenities for Duo. Again Heero conceded, but watched the man closely as he talked and packed to make sure that nothing troublesome, like a bomb, wound up in either bag and quickly confiscated the two as they left the lab.

"I want to know what you've done to Duo."

"Manners, boy. You can't go around barking orders at people and expect results," Gervais said disapprovingly, waving his finger at Heero although his back was turned to him. The more the man talked the more Heero disliked him.

"What is wrong with him? What sort of illness does he have?"

"Illness? Duo isn't sick, my boy. I told you before he's perfectly healthy."

"Then why was he in that tank? What sort of procedures were you performing on him?"

"My dear boy, all you need to know is that Duo is perfectly fine and I have done nothing untoward to him."

"No, what I want to know is what you did to him and Kitten."

"Kitten?"

"Yes. Duo's son. You gave him to Janet Hughes for safekeeping."

"How is my dear Janet?"

"She's in jail, waiting for you to come and keep her company."

"That was a tasteless joke, son."

"It wasn't a joke," Heero deadpanned.

"When Duo wakes up and tells you that he's fine, I do hope you have enough grace to come and apologize to me."

"You haven't answered any of my questions."

"Again, manners, son. You came into my home, interrupted my work, and locked me in another's man office and now you insist on asking me all these questions. Manners dictate that you could at least offer me something to drink now that you've taken me hostage."

The first drink to come to Heero's mind was a cup of bleach but he refrained from offering it to the doctor.

"You weren't taken hostage; you were arrested."

"It's the same principle, my boy. You've taken me against my will and locked me away."

Heero rolled his eyes. "Dr Gervais-" he started as the door to the office opened suddenly admitted Trowa.

"Heero, its Lucy. She's coding."

Heero blinked, shocked. He knew that she didn't have long but he didn't imagine that it would happen so soon. That she would die before they even had a chance to try to save her.

"Lucy? Is that the poor girl who was spliced with an octopus?"

"How do you know about that?" Heero asked.

"You should tell your agents to keep their thoughts to themselves, young man," Gervais answered moving towards them. "Now you go and fetch my bag and you," he said addressing Trowa, "show me to the girl's room."

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" Heero said following the man out of the room.

"I think I'm going to save her life and prove to you, my little skeptic, that I'm not the mad scientist you think I am."

"I don't think so," he snarled grabbing the man's arm.

"We have nothing to lose by letting him try, Heero," Trowa said.

He looked to the other man ready to argue but understood that Trowa was just as worried about Lucy as he was and unwilling to give up without putting up some kind of fight.

"Fine, show him the way I'll grab the bag," he said, dropping the man's arm.

Trowa and the doctor moved away and Heero quickly ran to the office on the opposite side of the hall to retrieve the doctor's bag and make his way to Lucy's room. Dr Anderson and several nurses worked over Lucy's body as the many machines attached to her body beeped and squealed in alarm.

"What is you name, son?"

"Trowa."

"Trowa be a good lad and pull the bed away from the wall."

"Who is he and what is he doing?" Dr. Anderson called looking at Heero.

"My name is Dr. Eric Gervais and I will be saving her life. Trowa, the bed please."

Trowa moved into position at the end of the bed pulling the bed away from the wall, jostling the medical staff and machinery.

"My bag Heero," he said holding his hand out. He placed the bag on a nearby cart, opening it to search through his equipment. "Heero if you would climb onto the head of the bed and keep Ms. Lucy's head and shoulders steady."

"What are you planning on doing?" Dr Anderson asked. "I won't be held accountable for this, Commander."

"I understand, Doctor, I'll take responsibility for his actions," Heero said moving into position. He climbed onto the using his thighs to hold Lucy's head with his hands pressing down on her seizing and bucking shoulders, holding her as still as possible.

"See that you do, Commander."

"What's wrong with her?" he asked, grunting as he held onto Lucy.

"The second heart started to beat. It's overloading her system," the doctor answered.

"Could I borrow your stethoscope? I was in a bit of a rush today and forgot mine," Gervais said ignoring the conversation, but Dr Anderson handed over his stethoscope all the same. He pushed the folds of the gown aside, leaving her breasts covered but exposing the center of her chest to place the chest piece against to listen to the two hearts.

He made a questioning sound before moving away.

"Trowa if you could straddle her legs and help keep her still. Doctor," he said touching Dr. Anderson's arm, "If you and one of these wonderful nurses could please keep her arms still."

Dr. Anderson pressed his hands into Lucy's right arm while the lone male nurse took charge of her left. Gervais went back to his bag pulling a large and dubious looking syringe out along with a vile of clear fluid. Injecting the needle into the top of the glass bottle, he pulled back on the plunger with his thumb transferring the liquid from the vial to the syringe.

He turned back to the assembled group with a large smile on his face wielding the syringe like a knife, "Gentlemen, did you know that octopi have three hearts?"

Heero looked at Trowa, where he rested on Lucy's legs on the other side of the bed. They shook their heads at each other; the man was incorrigible.

"Now I need all of you to hold her as still as possible, I don't relish the thought of missing," he said, using the fingers of his left hand to gently move her breast to the side, positioning the needle over her chest. He raised his arm high into the air and brought it down in frightful stab that pierced through her chest making a sharp, sickening sound. Everyone in the room froze as Lucy bucked and gasped around the ventilator and the tubes running down her throat, and Dr Gervais depressed the plunger injecting the liquid into her chest. He pulled the needle away, leaving the bed to throw the syringe into a sharps container.

"She's flat-lining," Dr Anderson said as the machines all gave a single flat note and Lucy fell limp into the mattress.

"She'll be fine in a moment, give it time," Gervais said amiably.

The next few moments were tense, with everyone but Dr Gervais staring at Lucy, waiting for something to happen. Heero looked down at her, willing her to breathe and her heart to beat. He couldn't stand for the bright light of his team to die under his hands.

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

"There now, a heart beat. Now let's remove these damnable tubes and let her breathe on her own," Gervais said reaching towards Lucy's face as the steady sound of her heartbeat filled the room. "Heero, son, if you would tilt her head back."

He did as he was told, assisting Gervais as he could as the doctor untapped the tubes from her mouth to begin to pull them out. The ends of the tubes were covered in ink and for a moment, Gervais was lost as to what to do with them until a female nurse came bearing a towel to wrap them in before disposing of them.

"Thank you, my dear."

"She's breathing," Dr Anderson said astonished.

"Of course she is. Now if one of you could please remove that tube from her chest," he said pointing at the tube that carried away the ink from her body which now ran clear.

"How did you do it?" Anderson asked. "Nothing we've tried helped her."

Gervais looked at Heero smugly, "I'm an expert in splicing and a very good doctor. Now if I could get a scalpel, I need to take a sample of these marvelous tentacles if I'm going to rid our dear Lucy of them."

"You're sure that you can do that?" Heero asked from atop the bed.

"Positive, although it would be much easier to do if I were allowed to take both Lucy and Duo back to my lab."

"No," he said carefully climbing off the bed.

"You are a very stubborn man, Heero."

"Thank you."

Gervais laughed, "My boy, if you're not careful I might begin to like you."

"Joy," he said flatly. He turned to Trowa where he was climbing off the bed, "Take him to the clinic's lab and keep an eye on him."

"Understood," he said and Heero ignored the doctor as he flirted with the nurses, pulling glass slides from his bag and left the room relieved that Lucy was still alive.

He walked the hallways of the clinic heading towards Duo's room. By now, Sally should have finished her exam of Duo and he was eager to find out if he was awake as well as what exactly Gervais had done to him. As he passed through the lobby, he ran into Weber, Hayers and Price.

Both Hayers and Price sported scratches across their faces and hands, as well as what looked like a bite mark on Hayers right cheek. Weber carried Kitten under one arm, held close to his body as the boy thrashed and kicked.

"I wanna see my Daddy!"

"What's going on?"

"An hour before you called us to let us know that you'd found Duo, this little guy starts kicking and screaming about his Dad. We've had a hard time keeping him still," Weber explained.

"He bit me," Hayers said angrily. "I think I need a rabies shot."

"He isn't rabid," Price said, "But am I to believe that he can either smell a person from almost twenty-five miles away or that he has ESP?"

"Both," came Gervais' cheerful voice as he passed behind Heero with several glass slides delicately held between his fingers with Trowa following close behind carrying his bag, before disappearing down the hall and out of sight.

Heero sighed and shook his head. He would deal with the mystery surrounding Gervais later. One problem at a time, he thought.

"Kitten, I'll take you to see your father if you behave."

Kitten looked up at Heero, red faced and glaring, before going limp under Weber's arm, "I'll be good."

"Good," Heero said reaching out to take Kitten from Weber into his own arms. "Go and check on Lucy. She should be doing better," he told the others.

"Really?"

"Yes she's off of the life support machines and Dr. Gervais is working on a way to reverse the splicing."

"You're really going to trust him?" Hayers asked.

"No but if he can help her, I'll allow it. Let me know if there are any changes in her condition."

"Yes, Commander."

He left the three agents, carrying Kitten, who was rambling in his ear, "I was looking for you."

"I know."

"But I got lost."

"I know."

"I wanna see my Daddy."

"I know."

Heero paused outside of the door to Duo's room knocking before he pushed the door open. Sally was there to meet him, stepping out into the hallway to speak with him.

"Hi, Ms. Sally."

"Hi, Kitten," she said smiling at the toddler.

"How is he?"

"He's still asleep, but fine. There isn't a single mark on him. Besides the obvious I can't tell if anything has been done to him that we should worry about."

"Can I take Kitten in to see him?"

"I don't see why not. Let me know if he wakes up, I want to make sure that the sensory deprivation hasn't done any damage to him."

"Alright."

Moving past Sally, Heero and Kitten entered the room where Duo lay sound asleep. The artificial sunlight filtered through the blinds landing on Duo's face highlighting the hair falling around him. The 'obvious' Sally spoke of were the two cat-ears laying flat against the top of his head unmoving, as if they too were asleep.

"That's my Daddy," Kitten whispered in Heero's ear and Heero smiled saying, "I know."

They crossed the room and Heero gently sat Kitten on the bed where he immediately lay across his father's chest hugging him. He sat up his hands on Duo's chest and began to shake the sleeping man.

"Wake up, Daddy. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up," he called.

"Kitten, he's tired."

"But he has to play with me. He promised," the boy said putting his hands on Duo's face shaking his head. Heero moved to intervene but stopped short seeing Duo's eyelids flutter.

"Daddy!" Kitten cried as Duo's eyes opened and focused on him.

"Daddy?" Duo asked looking at Kitten as if he'd never seen him before. "Who are you?"

Heero felt his heart freeze in his chest as Duo looked around the room confused. Could this be what Sally had been so worried about? Had Gervais stolen Duo's life by stealing his memories?

"Where am I?" he asked gripping the bed's safety rails. "Where am I?"

"Daddy," Kitten pleaded.

"Duo," Heero said drawing Duo's attention.

"Who are you? Where am I?" he asked panicked, trying to rise from the bed.

"Duo, it's alright," Heero said moving closer to the bed leaning over Duo to keep him still and in the bed. He felt a tug on his neck and looked down to see Duo's hand wrapped around his tie drawing him closer. He looked back to Duo's face to see a familiar smile spread there as well as a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Gotcha," he said before licking Heero from the bottom of his chin across his lips and up

the underside of his nose in one quick swipe. Heero jerked away in shock and his tie slipped through Duo's hand.

"Daddy, do you remember me?" Kitten asked his ears flat against his head the saddest expression on his face.

Duo laughed taking Kitten's head into both of his hands, "How could I forget that handsome face," he said giving Kitten a kiss on the lips.

Kitten laughed, hugging his father's neck, kissing him back. Heero watched the father and son interact as they laughed and talked animatedly to each other before Kitten turned to Heero pointing, "This is my friend Mr. Heero."

"Well, hello Mr. Heero," Duo said holding his hand out to Heero. He took the long slender fingered hand in his, feeling the smooth soft skin sliding over his palm. _No calluses_, he thought absently.

"Duo," he whispered staring into Duo's bright violet eyes finding himself rewarded with a wide warm smile. Tired and pale he was just as beautiful as Heero remembered him to, and along with that thought came the uneasy feeling of self-reproach. Duo was his friend, his best friend. The feelings that he had, although jumbled and confused would only mar whatever happy reunion they sought to have.

"Me and Mr. Heero play toys and he beat up the bad men who stole me."

"What?" Duo questioned, looking to Heero.

"It's a long story," Heero said in reply, shaking his head at Kitten's choice of words, "I'll tell you about later."

"You've been getting into a lot of trouble haven't you?" Duo asked tapping the boy's nose with one of his long elegant fingers.

"I don't mean to," Kitten said pouting.

"I know you don't," he said sitting up in the bed, smiling down at the boy indulgently.

"Duo, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, though I could use a shower."

"No, I mean," Heero said at a loss for words. "You've been missing for four years. I've been looking for you. What happened?"

"It's…a long story," he said avoiding answering, petting the top of Kitten's head.

"Duo," he started touching the other man's arm. He needed answers. He needed to know what had happened all those years ago and how Duo had ended up in Gervais' care, spliced with a three-year-old son.

"Commander," Weber called from the doorway interrupting him, "It's Lucy. She's awake and asking for you."

Heero looked between Duo and Weber torn. He wanted to talk to Duo but he wanted to see Lucy as well.

"Go," Duo urged, "We'll talk when you get back."

"Do you promise?" Heero asked suddenly needing the reassurance that Duo would indeed be there when he returned and that the other man would explain exactly what was going on.

"Yeah, I promise."

###

"Lucy," Heero breathed looking at the woman's pale and tired face.

"Hi, Commander," she said smiling. One of her arms moved as if to wave underneath the sheet that covered her from the neck down. She looked disturbed for a moment before giving a wan smile. "It's weird when they move. Makes me sick."

"It's alright," Weber said leaning close to her, "the commander's got a guy working on it."

"Really?" she said looking hopeful.

"Yes," Heero confirmed although he thoroughly wished that it wasn't Dr. Gervais that they were turning to for help. The short man was annoyingly arrogant and Heero hated to admit that he had indeed saved Lucy's life.

"I'm sorry about what happened, Commander. It's my fault Dr. M got away."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Lucy," he said concerned that the woman blamed herself for Dr. M's escape.

"No one else was hit with the recombinant," she said looking miserable.

"I was almost hit in the face three times," he explained, trying to convey that it was simply bad luck that she had been hit.

"Almost," she emphasized.

"Don't feel bad," Wu Fei said coming into the room with Sally, "Heero gravitates to being shot and blown up."

"Is that true?" she asked chuckling.

"No," Heero said glaring at the smug Chinese man.

"Yes," Sally said, "Don't forget that I treated some of those wounds."

"What are you doing here?" he asked the two ignoring Sally's comment.

"We heard that Gervais was working miracles," Wu Fei answered.

"Is that the doctor who saved me?"

"Yeah," Weber answered, "he's a weird, bossy little guy. He's got everyone running errands for him."

That explained why Hayers and Price were nowhere to be seen and it made Heero upset to know that the man was running his team and the other staff ragged.

They spent some time talking before Lucy's eyelids began to droop and Dr. Anderson stopped the visit, forcing everyone to exit the room.

"Is Duo awake?" Sally asked as they walked down the hall towards the lobby.

"Yes," Heero answered. "He seems fine. He remembered me and Kitten."

"That's good, but I think that we should keep a close eye on him all the same."

"I agree," Wu Fei added, "And while I'm happy that Agent Gemmell is alive, we shouldn't let him think that he can do whatever he wants."

"Trowa is watching him. He won't let anything happen," Heero said.

"Hm," Wu Fei said nodding, "Sally and I are headed to the main building to interrogate the lab assistants. If one of them talks you'll have something to use against Gervais."

"Thank you."

"Don't let him fool you," Sally said touching Heero's shoulder, "it was my idea. Now go and rescue Duo before Kitten talks him to death."

"I think between the two of them they'll talk each other into submission," Wu Fei said smirking and Heero laughed walking away.

He knocked on the door to Duo's room and hearing Duo call for him to come in he opened the door pulling up short at the sight that greeted him.

Duo stood, easily taller than six feet, dressed in nothing but a pair of short black briefs that left nothing to the imagination. He held his damp hair tight in his left hand above his head while he brushed the under side with his right. His chestnut tail swept gracefully left and right as he talked to Kitten who stood in the chair before him. Heero found his eyes roving over Duo's perfect, creamy skin, taking in his long legs, taut stomach and hairless chest before dropping back to the briefs. He swallowed roughly, wondering why he suddenly thought that Duo _was _sex.

"How's Lucy?" Duo asked, smiling at him.

"She's fine," he said hoarsely, closing the door behind him.

"That's good," Duo answered dropping his hair over his shoulder to continue brushing.

"My little guy's been filling me in on everything that's been going on. Thank you for saving him."

"It was nothing."

"Sure, superman," he said smiling at Heero. "Next you'll tell me saving the world's nothing."

"No," he said, "That required a little effort."

Duo laughed at that, tossing his head back.

"I don't get it. What's so funny?" Kitten asked, looking between the two of them and Duo only laughed harder.

"Has Kitten told you the trouble he's caused us in the last few days?"

"Kitten?" Duo asked looking confused.

"Yes. Kitten," Heero said pointing to the boy.

"His name isn't Kitten," he said looking to the boy who looked away feigning innocence.

"He told us his name was Kitten."

"My Nana calls me Kitten," the boy clarified.

"And what does your Daddy call you?" Duo asked tapping the boy on the head with the brush.

"Rhys. R-h-y-s," he spelled, "Rhys."

"That's right."

"Why did you tell me it was Kitten and not Rhys?"

"Cause I'mma kitten," he said, rolling his eyes as if Heero should have known the answer all along.

"Why Rhys?" he asked Duo.

"Cause calling him Cromm Cruach would give the kid a complex," Duo said as if that explained everything. _The two are definitely related_, Heero thought as Duo took the brush, using one hand to hold Kitten's head still, and began to tame the mess atop the boy's head.

"Duo, you said we would talk," Heero said as a lead off to the conversation he was dying to have.

"We are talking," Duo told him.

"I'm serious, Duo."

"So am I. Ask me something."

"What's going on here? Where have you been for the last four years? When did you have a son? Why are the both of you spliced? Why are you with Gervais? What is he up to? Did he kidnap you? Do you work for him?" Heero asked in a sudden explosion of words not able to stop himself once he'd started.

"Whoa," Duo said, blinking at him.

"That's too many questions, Mr. Heero!"

"I'm sorry," Heero apologized surprised at himself.

"Hold that," Duo said to Kitten passing the brush to the boy. He crossed the distance between them in two strides to wrap his arms around Heero's shoulders and Heero was struck by how tall Duo had gotten. "Heero," Duo whispered into Heero's ear, making him shiver, "I missed you, too."


	14. Thirteen

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

Duo smelled good. Simple but true. His scent was warm and spicy like cinnamon and with each breath Heero felt warmer and had to resist the urge to hug Duo back or else his hands would start to wander. With his face pressed into Duo's soft, warm skin, he was reminded of how much he'd missed the other man, and regretted when Duo lifted his head to look down at him.

"You need a haircut," Duo said threading his fingers through Heero's hair catching the ends to give them a good once over. "When's the last time you had one?"

"It's been a while," Heero answered trying to look anywhere but at Duo's chest only an inch from his face. He turned to look at Kitten who stood brushing his ears flat against his head.

"Oh! Nana Janet can cut your hair. She cuts my hair too," he exclaimed.

Duo looked to Kitten slowly moving away from Heero, "You need a haircut, too, buddy,"

Duo said smiling, and then frowned, "Where is she? I've been wanting to meet her."

"She's in jail," Heero said.

"For what?" he asked looking back to Heero concerned.

"Duo, splicing is illegal. She kept Kitten hidden and didn't report his splicing or Dr. Gervais," Heero said approaching Duo. "Did Dr. Gervais kidnap you, Duo?"

"No."

"Did he threaten you in any way? Did he force this splicing on you?" asked unrelenting. He needed to find out what had happened to his friend and what Gervais had done to him.

"What happens if I say no?" Duo asked combing his fingers through his loose hair, looking away.

"Then I have to arrest you as well," he said quietly, fearing the worse.

"What does arrest mean?" Kitten asked, looking between the two of them.

"It means Heero will put me in jail."

"Nuh-uh. You can't take my daddy away!"

Duo touched a long finger to his lips never taking his eyes from Heero's and Kitten instantly quieted.

"Did he?"

"No."

"Then why? Why this?" he asked gesturing to Duo's head and more importantly the ears that sat atop his head, "Why a cat?"

"'Cause cat-boys are sexy," Duo said smiling, turning to Kitten, "Isn't that right, kiddo?

"Yeah!" Kitten cheered.

"High-five," he said lifting his hand to high-five his son. Heero moved in-between them, putting his hand on the back of the chair blocking Kitten from Duo's sight.

"This isn't a joke! I've been looking for you for four years. I've had sleepless nights. I've interrogated dozens of people, led at least five raids looking for you and all you can say is cat-boys are sexy?"

"Don't yell at my daddy!"

"It's okay, kiddo; he has every right to yell."

"Why?" he demanded.

"Heero, it's complicated."

"Then make it simple." he growled.

"I-I was in a real bad way Heero," he tried to explain, his hands spread.

"You could have called someone. You could have called me. Me!" Heero cried getting in Duo's face. "I would have helped you."

"I needed it, Heero," he pleaded.

"Splicing?" he asked skeptical. In Heero's experience, nothing good came from splicing and he refused to believe that Gervais could offer anything worthwhile through splicing.

"I…He made me an offer I couldn't refuse," Duo said, his head falling, shoulders slumped.

"What kind of offer?"

Duo shook his head.

"Tell me something, Duo. What could he offer you that would make you leave your home, without calling, with no note, with no goodbye for four years?"

Duo looked up slowly his gaze shifting to Kitten and holding for moment before looking back to Heero then the floor.

"That can't be it," Heero said confused. Gervais couldn't have given Duo a son.

"No, but it was, is a bonus."

"I don't understand, Duo. What did he offer?"

"I can't, Heero. Maybe you can get the doc to tell you but I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because you might hate me in the end."

"Duo-"

"Tell me what I have to do to make this right Heero," he said interrupting Heero. "Tell me what I need to do to make it up to you, what I did."

Heero looked to Duo's pleading and forlorn face and felt his heart ripped from his chest. There was nothing, nothing, Duo could do to make this right. No simple action that could turn the situation around and make it easy to forgive the betrayal he felt.

"A kiss and a hug," Kitten offered and the two men turned to look at him. "When you do something bad you give a kiss and hug and say you're sorry. I saw it on TV."

"I don't think Heero's in the mood for a kiss," Duo said sadly, "and we've got company."

Kitten turned towards the door drawing a breathing deep through his nose, a wide smile spreading across his face. "I know him!" he yelled bouncing excitedly.

Heero looked between Kitten and Duo, his chest heavy, making it hard to breath. He no longer wanted a kiss, he didn't want to be anywhere near Duo now. His thoughts raced with the implications that Duo presented him with as father and son watched and waited almost a full minute before the door opened admitting Trowa.

"I seen you before," Kitten called pointing at Trowa, "You work with Mr. Heero!"

"I do," he answered with a small smile, obviously surprised at the attention.

"You smell good," the boy told him coyly, his tail wagging slowly.

"He's right," Duo said moving close to Trowa sniffing his hair, "You do smell good. So…how does feel it feel being short?"

"It's good to have you back Duo," Trowa said simply, smile widening as he looked up at Duo who stood only two inches taller than him.

"Is there something wrong?" Heero asked, stopping Duo before he went any further.

"I was sent to 'fetch' Duo. Dr. Gervais needs his help in the lab."

"You work for him?" Heero asked Duo, his ire rising.

"Impromptu lab assistant. G hates computers," he said shrugging, smile in place.

"G?" Trowa and Heero asked at the same time.

"No, he's not my Mad. I just call him that for short," Duo said moving to the duffel bag beside the chair Kitten stood in pulling out a pair of jeans and a tee. He handed the tee to Kitten to hold while he slipped the jeans on, taking a moment to adjust his tail behind his back. He took the shirt back slipping it over his head and arms, pulling his long hair through the neck of the shirt, draping it over his shoulder again. "Let's go."

In that moment, Heero despised Duo. How he could smile and move on as if he hadn't, only moments ago, admitted to vanishing four years ago for a cat's ears and tail, as if he hadn't admitted to being Gervais' flunky. Looking at him now, it was hard to feel anything but contempt.

"Shoes?" Trowa asked.

"No. I'm good. Come on, kiddo," he said holding his arms out to Kitten.

"No," the boy said refusing his father's arms.

"No?"

"I want him to carry me," he said pointing to Trowa.

"How do we ask?" Duo questioned his hands on his hips as he stared down at Kitten.

"Now?"

Duo laughed, ruffling his son's hair. "Try again."

"Mr. Trowa will you carry me? Please?"

"Alright," Trowa said, lifting the boy into his arms only to have his head latched on to by the boy, his small face pressed into Trowa's hair, breathing deeply. "Should I be concerned?"

"Trowa meet your new boyfriend," Duo joked, laughing.

"What?"

"I told you; you smell good. Think catnip."

"Oh."

The quick walk to the lab was punctuated with Duo's laughter and Kitten's purring. Heero couldn't be involved enough to comment on the situation, the conversation with Duo circling through his head. So much of his time spent worrying, dreading the worst for nothing. All of that to find that Duo had gone to Dr. Gervais for splicing, the man's miracle cure-all and worse he would be forced to arrest Duo if the either or Gervais couldn't convince him that Duo had somehow been manipulated.

"Duo, my boy," Gervais called from his perch on a stool as they entered the lab, "Good to see you up and about. How do you feel?"

"Doing good."

"Excellent. Now do something about this dreadful computer. I need to narrow down the species of octopus."

Duo moved to sit on a stool near Gervais in front of the terminal, planting his bare feet on the bottom rungs, "Who's an octopus?"

"Lucy." Heero answered dryly, following Duo to stand behind the two men.

"Why did she want to be an octopus?" Duo asked absently, not wasting a moment to get to work for Gervais, Heero noted, typing away.

"It wasn't her choice," he said irritably.

"From what I've heard from the staff and some of the fine Preventors' agents roaming the halls, our dear Lucy had a concentrated batch of recombinant thrown at her during a raid," Gervais explained to Duo.

"By who?"

"Doctor Gabriel Murai. Do you know of him Dr. Gervais?" Heero asked looking to the other man who turned in his seat to look back at him.

"Should I?"

"He was a veterinarian as well."

"Hmm. The name sounds familiar but I can't say that I know the man. I take it that the man is Preventors' most wanted then?"

"How serious is it?" Duo asked, timidly glancing over shoulder to Heero.

"His splicing has killed sixty-three people in four months. Two within the last week."

"Shit," Duo said with feeling.

"I see why you're so testy with me," Gervais said smiling cheerfully at Heero. "I can assure you that I haven't killed anyone."

"Can you assure me that you have nothing to hide?"

"Well now, we all have our secrets, son," he answered passing a glass slide to Duo who accepted it carefully between the same fingers Heero had allowed to comb through his hair only minutes ago.

"What were the treatments you were doing on Duo?"

"You're looking at it," he said gesturing to Duo.

"Splicing," he growled. Of course, it all went back to splicing.

"Now don't take that tone, my boy, I am doing very important work."

"Funny, that's what Dr. Murai says."

"Heero-," Duo started his tone placating but Heero had made his decision.

"Duo Maxwell, you're under arrest."

While it usually wasn't in him to be petty, Heero took satisfaction in watching Duo's eyes widen in shock and hurt as he looked at him. He hoped Duo felt the same feelings of betrayal that he, himself, felt.

"Now don't be hasty. Duo is innocent in all of this. I started my work with both him and Rhys before splicing became illegal. Duo has been in my care and unaware of the changes in the legality of splicing and obviously you can't charge a three year old."

"Then you admit to splicing Duo and Rhys knowing that it was illegal?"

"Yes."

"And Rhys' mother? Is she involved?"

"Mother?" Gervais laughed, "My boy, I thought you smarter than that. Yes, there was an egg involved but from whom and where it came from are inconsequential as I stripped it of its DNA and replaced it with half of Duo's."

"You mean he's a clone?"

"Well, yes, how else was I going to test the sequencing on Duo with out killing him? I made changes in Rhys' DNA when he was just an embryo to develop a final product to use on Duo."

"You let him clone you for the sake of splicing? So you could be part salamander?" Heero asked Duo enraged. It was worse than he imagined. Almost everything that Trowa pointed out to him just days ago, that he refused to believe, was true. He had defended Duo, told Trowa he was wrong for suggesting that Duo would do anything to hurt his own son only to find out that it was he who was wrong.

"He's my son," Duo said keeping his gaze focused on the keyboard in front of him.

"Does that make it easier for you to sleep at night? You say he's your son and you don't have to feel bad that he was born so you could be sexy."

"Fuck you," Duo said, quietly but with venom.

"I would have to agree with the sentiment," Gervais said glaring at Heero, "The procedure was not simply done for the splicing. Duo cannot have children naturally and has always wanted a child and now he does. He and I both love Rhys very much. It's why I took him to live with Janet. I didn't want the boy neglected because of our work. He deserved to be raised as close to normal as possible.

"If you have nothing better to do than try to belittle us, you can leave us alone to work. I promised to help Lucy and I plan to do that," Gervais said bitterly, dismissing Heero to turn back to his slides and equipment.

Heero took one last look at the back of Duo's head before walking out of the lab with Trowa minus Kitten, Hayers and Price on his heels.

"Commander-" Trowa started.

"Don't," Heero said cutting him off. He didn't want pity. "Where are we with Dr. Murai?"

"Every hospital and clinic knows to be on the look out for a man with a shoulder wound but so far we haven't got a hit," Price said.

"It was a through and through, he may have stitched himself up," Hayers offered. "He also hasn't made any purchases on any of his credit cards or tried to get in touch with family."

"Murai hasn't tried to make contact with Trent either but we still have agents in place," Price continued.

"He hasn't made an attempt to return to his home and our search hasn't turned up anything useful," Trowa added.

"And his lab?"

"A lot of recombinant and a computer full of sequencing codes but nothing that points us in his direction," Hayers answered.

"Dr Greyson is going over the files and recombinant to see what he can make of it," Trowa told the group.

"Should we let Dr Gervais take a look at it? Maybe he can-"

"No," Heero said sharply cutting Hayers off.

"Commander-"

"I want him to continue working with Gemmell. If he can cure her then I want his attention focused there."

"And Maxwell, Commander?" Price braved.

"House arrest," Heero decided. "Dr Gervais is taking the blame for now but I don't want Maxwell to suddenly go missing again."

"I'll check the database for a place for him to stay. I believe we have an apartment available now that Ramirez transferred to earth," Price said.

"Good."

"And Kitten?"

"Find DeWitt. I want her opinion on whether we should release him into Duo's custody for the time being or if he should remain in Preventors' custody."

"I'll do that," Price said nodding.

"I'll look into any updates on Murai and check with Greyson," Hayers said turning with Price to leave the clinic.

"You want to tell me what that was about?" Trowa asked once they were relatively alone.

"No. Not here at least," Heero said mindful of the exceptional hearing that Duo no doubt shared along with his son. No, Heero thought, his clone. His spliced clone, his template.

"I can call in some agents to watch the two of them and we can talk."

"Do it."

It only took minutes for two agents to make their way to the clinic's lab. They were given strict instructions not to talk to the two men working in the lab and not to leave them unattended. Weber stayed, to ensure that the two agents remained at the door while he monitored Gervais and Maxwell's activity. Taylor in Communications had been tasked in monitoring Maxwell's computer use from inside the main building, while Kitten was escorted back to the playroom for the day.

"Do you think it was Kitten? That Gervais offered him a child of his own to work with him?" Trowa asked as they meandered around the concourse under the colony's 'setting' sun.

"He said it was a bonus," Heero grumbled.

"What could he have offered that would make Duo leave so abruptly?" Trowa wondered.

"He says I'll hate him in the end."

"What about now? Do you hate him?"

"I-I don't know, Trowa. I don't want to but I didn't think that this would be the way that I would find him."

"It could be coercion or even Stockholm syndrome," Trowa offered.

"I want to believe that but…" he trailed off. He looked towards the clinic

"I'm sorry, Heero."

"It isn't your fault, don't apologize."

"No, I mean, I didn't want to be right," he sighed rubbing his forehead, "When I brought up the possibility-"

"I understand, but now we need to focus on what to do next."

"What's next?"

"Determining if there's a case to be made against Gervais and Duo."

"I'm not sure we have much to go on. If Gervais' work was limited to Duo and Kitten, he won't face major charges especially when his lawyer adds in that he helped to save Lucy."

"But we can prevent him from doing anymore work like this."

"That's true. As for Duo, it's a first time splicing offense. He'll have the antidote forced on him, but no serious charges. I doubt the antidote will work on him or Kitten."

"They're both hiding something. Something bigger than we can see right now."

"I have that feeling as well but-"

"Commander Yuy!" yelled voice from across the concourse. They both turned to find Monica Rains headed straight for them.

"What have you done now?" Trowa asked.

Heero shook his head unsure as he watched the stomp towards them, a briefcase in one hand and a folder in another. Wearing an all black suit with matching heels and an angry expression on her face, Heero thought of her as a harbinger of death.

"You've crossed the line this time Yuy," she hissed slamming the folder into his chest. "You are not allowed to question my clients without me present and you will release her from Preventors' lock-up or I'll have charges brought against you."

"Hughes didn't ask for a lawyer for herself, she asked for legal counsel for Kitten. I haven't done anything wrong."

"You all but broke into her cell at three o'clock in the morning and forced her to answer your questions."

"I didn't force her and again she didn't ask for a lawyer."

"You've found your so-called missing person and she's admitted to having no involvement other than protecting a little boy left unexpected in her care. Release her and drop all of the charges you have against her."

"Under the condition that she doesn't leave L1 until the investigation is closed," he negotiated. Janet Hughes had been forthcoming and he no longer felt the need to hold the woman now that she proved to be a woman protecting a child as a favor to an old lover.

"Agreed. And Kitten?"

"His father has been found; there's no need for her to care for him anymore."

"It hasn't been proven that he is capable or fit to take care of the boy," Rains argued.

"The same can be said of Hughes."

"She's taken perfectly good care of him for the last two years. I think that better qualifies her than Duo."

Heero couldn't really argue Rains' point but he wasn't ready to release Kitten to either Hughes or Duo. He wanted to wait until he had a professional's opinion on who would provide the best care for Kitten.

"I'll let DeWitt and a judge decide who's more capable of taking care of Kitten."

"Fine but don't think-" Rains started only to be cut off by not only Heero's but Trowa's phone ringing.

"Yuy," he greeted.

"Commander, we just got a call from the local police we've got two splicing victims," Price said on the move, breathing into the phone, "We're on our way to the scene."

"Murai?" he asked unnecessarily.

"Yes."


	15. Fourteen

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

Heero seethed.

Sitting on the edge of a clinic bed, his chest cut open and bleeding, he seethed. His thoughts raced around in his head only helping to fuel his anger at the newest development in the Murai case.

When he and Trowa left the Preventors' concourse and headed to the latest crime scene, he expected to find two dead bodies on the ground, another pair of splicers whose time had run out. Instead, he found Preventors' agents Lisa and Leslie Gilliam in the middle of a local coffee shop attacking anyone who came into arms reach.

He thought of them as girls even though the two blonde women were three years older than he was. They were the only set of twins that worked at the L1 branch, made noticeable because they spent all their time together. The image that came to mind whenever Heero thought of the twins now conflicted with what he'd seen of them today. He always pictured them standing close together heads touching as they pointed and giggled at him, not realizing that he could hear them talking about how cute his butt was and how they wanted to run their fingers through his messy hair. Now all he could see was the twins with arms swollen with muscles, hands curled with deadly sharp claws, faces contorted by teeth grown too big and sharp to fit inside a human mouth, and fur and stripes decorating their skin.

Tigers. One white and one orange, both with black stripes. It had been the white tiger that had nearly cleaved his chest in two. If not for fast reflexes, what was a nasty scratch across the chest would have turned into something more serious. The other members of his team had sustained wounds as well and were somewhere inside the clinic being taken care of. He had sent his nurse off to help the others as he had the least severe wound.

Touching his fingers to the blood still seeping from the injury he thought about how close Murai had come to making murderers out of innocent Preventor agents.

The attack both intentional and premeditated was a message to Heero and his team. Murai was taking revenge for interrupting his work and making his face notorious around L1. If he wanted to have his revenge, Heero would have preferred that he come after him and not the flirty twins or any other Preventor who wasn't apart of the case.

Both girls were in uniform, so he could only assume that the man was targeting obvious victims but the use of two separate syringes filled with different types of tiger recombinant meant the move was planned. All uniformed agents would need to be on alert for the small man and syringes being stabbed in their backs.

"Heero?"

Heero looked up to the doorway of his curtained cubicle to Duo who stood just outside. Still dressed in t-shirt and jeans, he'd since added a pair of sandals to his wardrobe and braided his hair although it still draped over his chest.

"What are you doing here?" he asked proud that he kept the hostility out of his voice. He had yet to forgive Duo, but he wasn't apart of the current crime and therefore didn't deserve the anger he felt now.

"Collecting samples from the twins. I heard you were hurt," Duo answered and Heero was not happy to note that Weber had let the man out of his sight.

"I'm fine," he answered, pulling the bloody remains of his shirt away from his chest. "Just a few scratches."

Duo hissed in sympathy. "Shit Heero," he said gently touching Heero's chest. Heero was surprised at how warm just tips of Duo's fingers felt against his chest as his nostrils were assaulted by the other man's scent. "I saw those claws, Heero; they could have torn you in two. Where is your nurse?"

"I sent her to help the others. I'm not hurt as bad as some of them."

"Right," Duo said sarcastically, moving into the room and the mobile cart beside Heero's bed.

"What are you doing?" Heero asked watching skeptically as Duo pulled a pair of latex gloves from one of the cart's drawers, sliding them on with a definitive snap.

"I'm going to bandage you up before you bleed to death. Lay back."

Heero didn't move as Duo tore open several packets of gauze laying them on top of the cart. His tail swept slowly behind him as if it too were concentrating on the task. Heero found himself staring at Duo's tail intently, following the long, dark appendage up to where it joined the rest of Duo's body, breathing deeply through his nose taking in more and more of Duo's spicy scent.

"Don't be stubborn," Duo said drawing Heero's gaze from his tail and his ass, back to his face, "Lay back, we need to get the bleeding stopped."

He pushed at Heero's shoulder with the back of his hand, and Heero let himself be pushed flat. He fought the wince that surged at the touch of the scratchy cotton gauze being pressed into the left side of the chest. The wound was worse there, the claws having penetrated his side before he moved in time to keep them from digging deep into his ribcage.

"You were really lucky," Duo said softly.

Heero made a noncommittal sound, trying to keep his gaze focused on the ceiling and not Duo.

"I'm sorry."

Heero looked quickly to Duo, who was staring intently at his own hands where he pressed down on Heero's chest. He wasn't sure of what Duo was apologizing for and felt strange trying to hold a conversation with the taller man flat on his back as Duo loomed over him.

"I didn't mean…I didn't know that my leaving would cause so much trouble."

"We thought you'd been kidnapped. We thought you were dead."

Duo said nothing, looking off into the distance.

"What did he offer you?" he asked, wanting to know the answer to that question above all others.

Duo shook his head, refusing to answer. Heero rose up quickly then, startling Duo as he grabbed Duo by the elbows shaking him.

"Tell me," he insisted.

"I can't," Duo said blinking, shocked.

"Then why bother to apologize?" Heero demanded.

"Because I don't want you to hate me more than you already do."

"I want to know why. I want to know that I didn't spend all my time looking for you for nothing."

"I don't owe you any answers Heero," Duo said stiffly, pulling away. "What I do with my life is my business. I had my reasons for leaving. I had my reasons for being spliced."

"And what about me? What about the people who came searching for you thinking you were in trouble? Does no one deserve an answer?"

"I didn't ask you to come looking for me."

"I'll remember that the next time you go missing. I'll be sure to ask for permission first," he answered acerbically.

"That's not what I meant! Jesus Christ, Heero. You found me; I'm safe, let's just leave it at that."

Several phrases came to mind; many revolving around the phrase 'eat shit and die'. Heero was trying to keep his temper in check, but Duo's attitude made it hard. He couldn't simply let things go and pretend that everything was all right, couldn't let himself rejoice in having found Duo without knowing why he left to begin with.

He was saved from giving one of many graphic and vulgar replies that sprang to mind by the presence of a Preventors' agent standing in the doorway of his cubicle.

"Commander Yuy," greeted Special Agent Flaherty.

He looked away from Duo to Flaherty and the woman lived up to her nickname as the Head Mistress, not even batting an eyelash at the fearsome glare he gave her. As the head of the Detention and Detainment department, the auburn-haired woman dealt with much worse from prisoners on a daily basis but Heero would have felt better if she cringed just a little. Instead, she boldly stepped into the same area, a black bag in tow.

"I'm here to serve the orders for Mr. Maxwell's house arrest."

"Good," Heero said nodding. He caught the gauze on his chest before it had a chance to peel away, applying pressure before continuing, "Please, proceed."

"I'm not going to leave again," Duo said looking down at Heero.

"You're under investigation as to whether or not your decision to leave, your splicing and the splicing of your child was done without knowledge of the legality of splicing. You are also under investigation as to whether or not you have been working with Dr. Gervais as his assistant in other illegal splicings."

"Dr. G already told you that the started on me and Rhys before it became illegal."

"And continued to work on you afterwards."

"I didn't know that it was illegal," Duo said and by his inflection, Heero couldn't say that he truly believed him.

"Special Agent Flaherty, please proceed."

"Duo Maxwell, I am Special Agent Flaherty and I will be in charge of monitoring you during this investigation. I am going to attach an electronic tether to your leg that will broadcast your location. You will be allocated a set range to move around in, should you exceed that range for anything other than an emergency you will be formally charged, arrested and confined to a jail cell. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I understand. Not too hard to figure out what house arrest means," he said dismissively and if Flaherty was offended by his attitude, she didn't show it.

"Commander, the range?" she asked looking to Heero.

"Four miles in every direction with headquarters as the epicenter until we find him temporary housing."

"Can we at least get him bandaged up before you get started?" Duo asked gesturing emphatically at Heero.

Flaherty looked to Heero then, letting him make the call. He didn't want to prolong the procedure anymore than necessary as Duo had already gone missing for over four years and seemed to have gotten away from the three Preventors who were supposed to be watching him. He would make sure that he talked to Weber about the situation.

"I'm fine. A nurse will be by soon."

"Mr. Maxwell if you could take a seat, please, we can get started."

Duo growled in response, snatching the gloves from his hands, tossing them aside. He glared at Heero before turning to hop up on the bed jostling Heero and aggravating his chest. Heero made a note to do something just as petty to Duo when the chance presented itself.

Flaherty set her bag down on a clear spot on the bed and began pulling out equipment. The two-inch black cuff that would serve as the tether and a small PDA were most recognizable to Heero, the rest were miscellaneous tools that he had no name for.

He held tight to the gauze as he watched Flaherty instruct Duo to lift his leg up onto the bed. As Duo leaned back, drawing his leg up, he placed his hand on Heero's bare back to steady himself.

The sudden warmth that spread from Duo's hand across Heero's back, filling his entire body, suffusing him with heat was almost painful in its intensity. He gasped harshly, doubling over, his entire body tightening in response as half-formed visions flitted behind his eyes and the sensual sensation of soft skin and hair rubbing against him confused his nerves.

"Commander, are you alright?" Flaherty asked from her stooped position to his left, her blue-green eyes wide with worry.

He nodded quickly swallowing the sudden lump in his throat, not sure that he could explain what had happened even if he wanted to. Like being dropped, unawares, into the middle of an orgy, burning hot feelings of lust had come on at Duo's touch and had just as quickly left him disoriented. Why a bare hand to his back would do to him what a full-body hug couldn't frightened him. Already he found himself thinking of Duo in ways he hadn't before; he didn't need passing touches bringing him to his knees.

"I'm going to find a nurse," Flaherty said, standing up straight.

"No, I'm fine," he said not wanting to bring more people into the situation and he no intention of telling anyone about the embarrassing reaction.

"Bullshit. You look like you're about to go into shock," Duo said peering into his face, hand still lightly touching his back.

"He's right, Commander. You need to lie down."

Duo moved off the bed, his hand sliding from Heero's back to his shoulder though thankfully the feelings didn't return as Heero let himself be pushed flat for a second time in so many minutes. Seeing him flat and stationery, Flaherty nodded before disappearing outside the curtains.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Duo asked. "What happened?"

He looked up at Duo, studying his face looking for any hint that Duo had somehow caused the reaction intentionally but only saw true concern and worry there. Even with all the mystery behind Gervais, he found himself hard-pressed to believe that sending inspiring lust through touch was something Gervais had mastered and taught to Duo.

"I don't know. Whatever it was it passed."

"Are you in pain?" Duo asked his head canting to the side.

"No."

It was awkward between them after that as they quietly waited for Flaherty to return. When she did, she had a nurse and Dr Anderson in tow and Heero found himself generally fussed over by the group as they tried to determine what had happened before giving up and setting to the task of bandaging him up.

Twenty minutes later found him with twelve stitches, a prescription for antibiotics and pain meds, an over wrapped chest and a promise to find him a replacement shirt. Dr. Anderson and the nurse were quick to move on leaving Heero, Duo and Flaherty alone again.

Flaherty had attached the tether in the time it took to stitch Heero up and was going over a few more details with Duo as Duo looked nonplussed with the entire event.

"The tether is tamper resistant and should you try to remove it or manipulate it I will be alert-"

"And I go to jail," Duo finished.

"Exactly. Do you have any questions?"

"How long do I have to wear this?"

"Until the investigation is over and we determine that you're innocent or formally charge you." Heero answered. He'd never had a problem with getting to the meat of his job and doing it while things were falling apart around him. It made people believe that he was cold and heartless and by the look Duo gave him the taller man more than likely felt the same.

"Dr. G hasn't hurt anyone or done anything I didn't agree to. Hell, he's in there right now trying to save your agents' lives."

"It's still illegal and beyond that we have to look into every aspect of the work he's done and everyone he's had assisting him."

"You're punishing me because I won't tell you why I left."

"No, I'm taking the necessary steps in regards to my case. You've been listed as a missing person for the last four years and now you've resurfaced at the heart of an illegal splicing operation. It doesn't matter if you gave consent for yourself or for Rhys and until you pass a psychological evaluation, we have to assume that you've been coerced into this entire situation."

"You can't be serious. I just told you-"

"It's about what you're not telling me, Duo," he said forcefully, "Why did you leave and what did he offer you?"

Duo looked away, stubborn silence his answer. Though his face was a blank mask, his ears were low, almost flat against his head. The same position Kitten's ears took on when something made him sad. Heero wondered if Duo knew he had such a striking tell.

"Agent Flaherty, I'd like Dr. Gervais to be tethered as well. For now, he's assisting us with working up antidotes for Agents Gemmell and Gilliam. I want him to be relegated to the inside of the clinic."

"Of course Commander, I can take care of it now if you want."

"Good. I can escort you and Duo back to the lab."

Duo moved first, out of the cubicle and into the hall, leading the procession to the lab. Heero and Flaherty followed though with less vigor. Upon arrival, he was not pleased to note that Gervais had been left in the lab unattended and after parting from Flaherty and Duo, he went in search of Weber and the two agents who were assigned to watch them. He found them, along with several other agents congregated outside of the twins' room.

"Weber, why aren't you with Dr. Gervais?"

"I was escorting Duo to the twins' room to collect samples."

"And where is he now?"

Weber blinked looking around himself. "Shit. I'm sorry, Commander," he said dropping his usual habit of calling Heero boss once he realized the gravity of the situation. "I got caught up with everyone else."

"Grab the agents who were supposed to be on the door and head back to the lab and don't let Duo or Gervais out of your sight again. They both could have escaped while you were here gawking."

"I'm sorry, Commander, it won't happen again."

Heero turned away and was not surprised to find that several pairs of eyes that had been staring at him intently were now looking elsewhere. While he very rarely had to reprimand the members of his team, he wouldn't let what could have been a disastrous situation pass without letting his thoughts be known. If embarrassing Weber in front of fellow agents helped to reinforce how badly he'd messed up then so be it.

He moved though the crowd into the room where Trowa sat in one of the chairs wearing a blood stained tank top his left shoulder wrapped in bandages. It reminded Heero that he had yet to find himself a new shirt.

"What's happened?" he asked gesturing towards the two beds where the tiger-spliced twins lay quietly.

"They're in a drug-induced coma. Normal sedatives didn't work on them and they were in pain. Gervais says with the syringes he'll be able to cure them in a few hours."

"What about Lucy?"

"Her splicing is more extreme and will take longer to correct. He's asking to be relocated to his lab."

"Whatever equipment he needs can be brought here to him."

"I'll have him make a list. We can start bringing things in tomorrow."

"Good. How's your arm?"

"Nothing severed. I've been cleared for light duty. You?"

"Minor wounds," he replied. "Which one is which?"

"The white is Lisa, the orange is Leslie," Trowa answered pointing to each twin in turn.

"Lisa got me," Heero said touching his bandaged chest realizing that he had crossed the clinic and reprimanded Weber in nothing but bandages and blood on his chest.

"Leslie," Trowa said explaining who nearly took his arm.

"How are Hayers and Price?"

"Price is in surgery. One of the twins bit into her thigh and tore several muscles. Hayers' arms were cut up, nothing severe. He's been stitched up and I sent him home."

"We need to make sure that all Preventors are aware of the situation and on the lookout. I don't want Murai to have the opportunity to do this again."

"Wu Fei and Sally are already taking care of it."

"Did they get any information out of Gervais' assistants?"

"I didn't know to ask."

"Head home Trowa. The twins have enough people watching over them. We can start again in the morning."

"What about you?"

"I need to tie-up a loose end and then I'll call it a night."

He managed to get a clean shirt before leaving the clinic and heading to the main building and the holding cells, arriving just in time to catch Agent Flaherty as she was relinquishing her post for the night.

"You're dropping the charges?" she asked once Heero had finishing explaining what he wanted done and filling out the subsequent forms.

"Yes, the information she gave us led us to find Duo and Gervais. She had no other association with Gervais besides caring for Kitten."

"You're keeping me very busy lately, Commander," she said jokingly. Heero could only imagine the amount of paperwork involved in pulling people in and out of cells. He'd probably given Flaherty carpal tunnel with his case alone with the number of people he had passed through in the last few weeks.

"It's not my intention."

"I know. Wait here and I'll go and release Mrs. Hughes. Bowman," she said turning to the agent who would take over the night watch. Heero recognized him as the man he'd snatched the keycards from two nights ago. "Will you get Mrs. Hughes' personal effects?"

Bowman moved off to retrieve the articles while Flaherty went into the holding area to release Hughes, leaving Heero alone in the intake. He rubbed absently at the bandages around his chest, wondering at the greeting he might receive from Hughes.

Bowman returned first with keys, jewelry and a small clutch purse, followed by Flaherty and Hughes. The other woman looked tired and haggard, giving Heero a guarded look.

"You're letting me go?"

"Yes. All the charges against you have been dropped and here's a car waiting to take you home."

"You found Eric and Duo then," she said as more of a fact than inquiry, shaking her head sadly.

"Yes."

She looked back towards the cells, "Did you arrest them?"

"Yes," Heero replied.

"He isn't a bad man, he wouldn't hurt anyone."

"We're still investigating it. I'll show you to the car," he said moving to escort her, wanting to be done with this line of conversation as soon as possible.

He waited while she gathered her few belongings, signing them out, before she turned to follow Heero.

"What about Kitten? Can I see him first?"

"He may be asleep by now," he said glancing towards his watch, seeing that it was after 11, "but I'll take you."

The short walk from the hold to the elevator and up the several stories to the dormitory was painfully quiet as the two had little to say to one another, He felt guilty about his behavior just days before and how he had all but attacked the older woman though he felt justified under the circumstances. He had to admit that Zechs was right. Janet Hughes had been trying got protect her loved ones. She had done, from what Heero could tell, the best she could to raise Kitten like a normal child and kept him as safe as possible. While he would have acted differently, had he been in her place, he could understand her reasoning. She wasn't a bad person, just a woman who had made a bad decision for the sake of a child and the man she once loved.

The woman behind the desk seemed more than happy to sign over the keys to Kitten's room when they arrived letting them back without any fuss. Unlocking the door to Kitten's room they were greeted by the three year old dressed in light blue pajamas.

"Nana!"

"Oh my little kitten," Janet cooed gathering the boy into her arms, petting his hair, "Oh I missed you."

"I missed you too. I heard you comin' and I can't sleep by myself and I wanna go home and are you mad at me?"

"No, sweetheart, I'm not mad at you. I'm so happy that you're alright."

"I'm sorry I took the hat off."

"Shh, it's alright, I'm not mad," she said again peppering kisses along his face as she moved, carrying him to the twin bed that sat against the right side of the room. Both beds in the small dorm were turned down, the sheets rumpled and Heero imagined Kitten moving from one bed to another trying to decide which one he liked best.

"Mr. Heero, are you bleeding?" Kitten asked suddenly, pulling him from his musings.

"What?" Heero asked confused. He hadn't expected to be drawn into the conversation so suddenly. "No, I was hurt earlier but I'm fine now."

"I didn't even realize," Hughes said, looking as if she'd done something wrong by not noting the injury and doing something about it.

"It's alright I'm fine," he said for what seemed like the millionth time that night.

The woman nodded, looking to Kitten, asking, "Commander, can I take Kitten home with me?"

Heero was taken back by the question. He had hoped that she wouldn't ask, as he couldn't let Kitten go with the woman and knew that it would upset her to know.

"I'm sorry; it's for a judge to decide who gets custody of him. He has to stay here for the time being."

"I see," she replied crestfallen. She looked to Kitten, running a hand over his head, "I have to go now, but you're going to be a good boy for me aren't you?"

"I'll be good."

"No running away in the middle of the night. You're going to stay in this bed and sleep."

"But I can't sleep by myself and it's dark," Kitten pleaded his ears drooping.

"He usually sleeps in bed with me," Hughes said looking to Heero. "He's spoiled I know, but do you think you could stay the night with him. If you just slept in the other bed I'm sure it would help him sleep."

He felt uncomfortable and yet pleased by the request. He'd never been asked to keep a child company and that Hughes had asked given their past made him feel better about her. She trusted him with her child, no longer treating him like some molester off the streets. He looked to Kitten and his hopeful smiling face tucked against Hughes' chest and couldn't help but to agree. If it would help Kitten sleep and keep him form terrorizing the neighborhood in the middle of the night while he got some sleep, it would be a win for everyone involved.

He escorted Janet to the waiting car after she'd tucked Kitten in with meticulous care and said her goodbyes to the boy extracting more promises of good behaviors than Heero was sure the small boy wouldn't keep. On he curb outside of the building she asked Heero to take good care of her kitten before climbing into the car to be delivered home.

Back inside Heero cleaned up in the public bath, changing into clean pair of sweats and t-shirt he kept in his locker before returning to the room where Kitten lay in bed grinning. He turned out the light, climbing into the bed on the opposite side of the room with the feeling of eyes watching him in the dark.

"Good night Mr. Heero," Kitten whispered loudly.

"Good night Kitten," he replied smiling.

The pain meds did their job wonderfully; easing his pain and helping him ease into a peaceful, dreamless sleep, though he was not surprised when somewhere in the middle of the night a small body curled up beside him, though the purring was distracting until he let it lull him back to sleep.


	16. Fifteen

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

Heero had decided, before they'd even had breakfast the next day that taking care of a three year old was akin to having an energetic puppy.

He'd woken up with the boy only inches from his face, tail thumping against Heero's chest as he grinned with one thought on his mind: breakfast. A word that he repeated several times until Heero was finally forced to get up and out of bed as choking a small child went against everything he stood for.

While it didn't taken much effort to convince the boy that he needed to be cleaned and dressed before going to breakfast, it had taken a stern tone to convince him that he needed to clean up the clothes that he'd tossed haphazardly around the room and make up his bed.

The logic behind making the bed while standing in it would more than likely elude Heero for the rest of his life but with a little help the task was accomplished before they headed off to the showers and again Kitten's enthusiastic behavior made him think of puppies.

Kitten was not shy about the water, running from one spot to another prompting the automatic showerheads to activate so he could happily splash around naked, laughing at all the fun he seemed to be having. He also had no regard for the few agents showering in the open area with him, stopping to stand in front of the showering men introducing himself, his hand out in greeting. Heero would have to recount the story of Kitten and Agent Dorian to Trowa. The way he'd covered himself, blushing a deep red, stammering at the boy was worth a few laughs.

After explaining that running on wet tile was dangerous and that he was bothering the others and keeping them from their own showers, Heero managed to corral the boy in a private curtain where he could supervise him. How one boy could use so much soap and not clean his entire body was another enigma for Heero to question in his downtime.

Heero was happy with his decision to square Kitten away first before getting dressed as drying a wily three year old was like holding water in his hand and combing Kitten's hair had been just as difficult with Heero holding the boy in a haphazard headlock to keep him still. Done with Kitten, he was able to freshen up and put on one the many clean uniforms he had stored at headquarters. Trowa had once told him that where others hid snacks around their offices, Heero squirreled away uniforms. The habit kept him with a clean uniform in easy reach and he refused to be offended by the joke.

Clean, dressed, and so hungry he could die, Kitten walked hand in hand with Heero though he protested that he wasn't a baby and could walk on his own. Heero began to see the reason behind putting harnesses and leashes on children as Kitten's attention wandered easily and if left alone he would have stopped to touch, smell, and talk to everything and everyone. They were held up from reaching the cafeteria because the boy was determined to greet everyone they passed in the halls on the way there. When asked why he needed to meet everyone, he replied in a haughty tone for a three year old that his Nana taught him manners.

Once in line at the cafeteria Heero hoisted the boy into his arms, mindful of his own smarting chest, promising himself his pain meds after he'd eaten. Kitten wrapped his arms around Heero's neck looking at the array of food behind the glass counter, inhaling deeply through his nose.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked Kitten after the boy had had time to see the selections.

"Everything."

"You can't eat everything," Heero chided, "Do you want cereal, or eggs and bacon, or some fruit?"

"Yes," Kitten said nodding.

"Yes to what?"

"All of it."

Heero shook his head sighing. Spoiled _and _incorrigible.

A worker behind the counter chuckled at the two of them before speaking, "Don't worry about it, Commander, I'll take care of him. He did the same thing yesterday."

"Hi, Mr. Bobby," Kitten said waving to the man.

"Hi, Kitten," the worker replied, waving a gloved hand. "What can I get for you, Commander?"

Heero didn't often eat at the Preventors' cafeteria and he gave the food another look, deciding to get eggs, bacon, toast, fresh fruit and orange juice, letting the other man take care of Kitten's meal. Reaching the end of the line he was pleasantly surprised to see Kitten's plate dished with a bite of everything the cafeteria offered for breakfast. He paid for his meal, while the staff let Kitten have his sampler free and allowed Kitten to lead the way to an empty table.

Not in his seat for more than minute, Heero's phone dinged with a new message alerting him that his day had officially began with Hayers asking for directions for the day. He sent a reply to meet him in the lab inside headquarters in an hour. He sent a pre-emptive message to Trowa, telling him of his location as well as the meeting he had planned, asking his partner to find out Price's status. Next was a call into the lab, specifically to Taylor, asking him to be ready with the surveillance footage from the coffee shop.

"Oh look, Wu Fei, Heero saved us a seat," Sally said as the two approached the table dressed in their uniforms, looking much more awake and alert than Heero felt.

"Ms. Sally! Major Wu Wu!" Kitten cheered waving to the two agents.

"Wu Fei," said man replied indignantly, taking the seat across from Kitten while Sally pulled the chair across from Heero.

"I taught him that," Sally said conspiratorially, leaning towards Heero with a grin.

"You're encouraging disrespectful behavior," Wu Fei replied, glaring at his partner.

"But it's so cute when he says Major Wu Wu," Sally said, pouting playfully at Wu Fei.

Heero liked the lighter side of Sally. Unburdened from her time as a colonel with the lives of hundreds depending on her command, she was a much freer and happier person. She looked remarkably younger with her hair down, wavy blond locks falling around her shoulders and face in a simple, effortless hairstyle. He enjoyed watching the playful banter she and Wu Fei shared though he sometimes wondered if there wasn't something more to their relationship than what they portrayed in public.

"It's disrespectful. He shouldn't call his elders by such ridiculous names," Wu Fei argued.

Sally only laughed in reply, saying without words that she intended to continue teaching Kitten behaviors that Wu Fei wouldn't approve of.

"What is he eating?" Wu Fei asked gesturing unfavorably at Kitten's plate.

"Everything," Heero answered, earning himself a glare.

"You're spoiling him too."

"It wasn't my idea," he said glancing at the mess on Kitten's plate. The boy had eaten everything he liked and picked over the things he didn't stirring everything into an unrecognizable pile of mush that he ignored in favor of the small pile of grapes on his plate. He turned back to Wu Fei and Sally shaking his head, "Did you learn anything worthwhile from the assistants?"

"Nothing good," Sally answered, "They were more gophers than anything."

"Gophers?"

"You know, go for this, go for that."

"Errand runners," Wu Fei elaborated rolling his eyes at the smiling woman.

"Were they aware that he was performing illegal splicing?"

"Yes but they both say that Gervais paid them enough to keep his little secret. Their exact wording."

"Where is he getting the money from? He's been underground for the last four years and before that a medic in the war. He doesn't have the funds to run this sort of operation and pay people off."

"A silent benefactor who's good at covering his tracks," Wu Fei surmised. "We've looked through all of Gervais' accounts and nothing points to where this money is coming from."

Heero was delayed in answering by an incoming message from Trowa. Price was out of surgery though still unconscious at the moment and wouldn't be cleared for duty for at least six weeks. That cut two people from his team because of Murai's splicing. He pushed his barely touched food away from himself, upset with the turn of events. At this rate if he didn't find Murai soon, his entire team including himself would be in the hospital.

"What's happened?" Wu Fei asked.

"Price was injured last night and won't be cleared for duty for sometime. It leaves me two people short on my team."

"You've got us," Sally said, gesturing towards herself and Wu Fei.

"Yes," Wu Fei added, "You have our help for as long as we can provide it."

Working with the Hostage and Rescue Team meant being on-call at anytime of the day or night to handle situations as they arose, and that its members took their downtime seriously, as they weren't afforded many opportunities to do so. That Wu Fei and Sally would give up the little free time that they had to continue to work with him on his case humbled him.

"Thank you, I appreciate it. We need to find Murai before he attacks any other Preventors."

"We issued the alert last night after we found out what happened," Sally said.

"Was there anything special about the attack that could he help us track him?"

"Oh!" Kitten yelled suddenly, standing up in his chair.

"Kitten, what is it?" Heero asked, putting a hand on the boy's back concerned.

"Mr. Trowa," he said softly, almost dreamily from the way he curled his tail into his hands, pressing it against his face as he stared at the far door.

"What's going on?" Sally asked confused.

"Something about Trowa's smell. Duo says it's akin to catnip."

"How is that?"

"I'm not sure," Heero replied. He swiped his finger down Kitten's nose, distracting him.

He blinked confused all his attention having been focused on the approaching Trowa and the door to look at Heero.

"Sit down and eat," he admonished, and Kitten dutifully sat, going back to his grapes just as Trowa came through the door.

"We need to talk about this," Wu Fei said, nodding towards Kitten.

"Later."

"Morning Trowa," Sally greeted as the taller man approached. "I hear you smell like catnip."

"Only to the cats," he said smirking and immediately had Kitten's full attention, as he stared up at the man a grape forgotten between his fingers. Trowa ran a gentle hand over the boy's head, greeting him. "Good morning Kitten."

The boy preened under the attention, "Hi Mr. Trowa."

Sally giggled and Heero couldn't help but smile, Kitten was completely taken in by Trowa and by the look on the taller man's face, he was both amused and embarrassed by the attention.

"Are you done eating," Heero asked Kitten, tapping him under the chin to break his stare.

Kitten looked to his plate, nodding. "Good, let's go throw this away."

He stood gathering his tray and Kitten's, directing the boy to walk towards the trashcans before informing the group that he would meet them in the lab to review the surveillance footage once he'd delivered Kitten into Joyanne's care for the day.

On the way to the playroom, they managed to meet and greet four agents, one custodial worker, a secretary, and two visitors before finding Joyanne waiting in the playroom for them.

"Are we going to play now?" Kitten asked after saying hello to Joyanne.

"Not right now, I have to work," Heero answered.

"But you promised," Kitten whined.

"I know but-"

"You promised," Kitten said, stomping his tiny foot, "Let's play now."

Joyanne chuckled at them both, stepping up to Heero to lay a hand on his elbow, stopping him from trying to explain to the boy that he had important work to do. It was strange to see the boy react in that way. Kitten was always very cheerful and that he could be upset by something as small as a missed play date hurt Heero. He felt guilty for having to once again leave the boy, his job more important than smashing trucks. He wished he knew how to explain to Kitten without out hurting his feelings. The alternative would be prompting him to stalk Heero in the middle of the night and end up on another colony, although with Kitten's luck they'd find him on Mars.

"Commander, sit down for just a minute," she directed, getting him to sit on the floor where Kitten found a perch for himself on his lap. She sat beside them both and Heero thought it was smart of her to wear loose comfortable clothes, as she would be run ragged by Kitten.

"Kitten, do you remember when those bad men took you away?" she asked.

Kitten looked up from where he was playing with his own tail to answer, "They stole my unnawears."

Joyanne chuckled and Heero smiled at his answer. Kitten had a knack for saying the most amusing things. That he would be more concerned about his lost "unnawears" than the fact that he'd almost been sold to a pervert was quite funny to Heero.

"Yes they did and they took you from your Nana, remember?"

"Yes."

"And do you remember who came and saved you?"

"Mr. Heero did," Kitten said turning in Heero's lap, putting a hand on his chest.

"That's right, because that's Mr. Heero's job," Joyanne explained.

"It is?"

"Yes. He saves people's lives everyday and right now there's a bad man out there and Mr. Heero has to go and stop him, so he can't hurt anyone else."

"Really?" kitten asked looking up at Heero.

"Really," Heero answered.

"So Mr. Heero can't play right now, even though he really wants to, because people need him."

"Oh. Daddy, is that true?" the boy asked turning to the door and Heero wasn't surprised when Duo walked in with an embarrassed grin on his face from being caught spying. Heero could make out the agent who had escorted Duo in the hallway just before Duo closed the door on him. It seemed his message to Weber and the other two agents had gotten through and he wouldn't have anymore slip ups.

"Of course it's true," Duo said smiling at his son. "Don't you know that Heero saved the world?"

"Really?"

"Twice," Duo said emphasizing with two fingers.

"Wow," Joyanne breathed looking at Duo and by the look on her face the comment had nothing to do with Heero's heroic efforts as even he could see that Duo looked very good in the black skinny jeans and black tee he wore. His hair was loose and again draped over his shoulder and Heero wondered if Duo kept it that way because it irritated his tail.

"Really, Mr. Heero? Twice?'

"I had help," he said looking down to Kitten. "Your father helped me."

"Only a little," Duo said, plucking his son from Heero's lap. He rubbed his nose against Kitten's in greeting before giving his attention back to Heero and Joyanne holding his hand out. "Ladies first."

Heero watched the woman's face hoping, and yet not, that Duo's touch would inspire the same reaction that it had in him the day before, but she only smiled pleasantly in the face of an attractive man letting herself be pulled from the floor. When Duo bent down to help him up, Duo's smell was there, heavier, muskier than usual and once Heero's hand was in his, he shivered. The feeling of fingers brushing up and down his skin was distracting him from getting his feet underneath himself as Duo pulled him upright. He found himself looking into Duo's eyes just inches from his, wanting a kiss more than he had ever wanted in his life.

"Did you and Mr. Heero kiss and make up?" Kitten asked breaking the suddenly spell as the men jerked apart, dropping each other's hands and Joyanne giggled at the both of them.

"Not yet," Duo said standing up straight.

"What're you doing here?"

"I asked that Mr. Maxwell come in and spend some time with Kitten so that I can make a decision regarding who gets custody."

"I've got to break you guys of calling him Kitten. His name is Rhys." He turned to look at the child in his arms. "I can't believe you have everyone calling you Kitten. Did you tell anyone your real name?"

"But I'm a kitten," said pouting in way of explanation.

Heero shook his head and Duo echoed him before chuckling, kissing Kitten, no, Rhys' cheek.

"I'll leave you to it," he told Joyanne, "Call me with your decision."

"Of course, Commander."

"Duo. Rhys," he said nodding to the two cats, who waved and said their goodbyes to him as he left and headed to the A/V lab and the other members of his team.

###

"So there's Lisa and Leslie there," Taylor said pointing towards the twins on the large view screen. Heero stood to the side of the lab tech's chair with the Trowa, Wu Fei, Sally and Hayers spread out behind him reviewing the footage from the attack at Café du Sol.

The twins were chatting each other up in the footage, laughing and gesturing to each other dressed in their Preventors' uniforms, their blond hair pulled high into ponytails that moved as they talked.

"And over here is Dr. M," Taylor said pointing to the bottom left hand of the screen where Dr. M stood concealed in a coat and hat, "He's just watching them and then when we fast forward, he joins the line after the girls do."

The tape accelerated showing Dr. M move from the corner to the end of the line in a jerky motion before Taylor hit play again. The twins were unaware of the danger that stood behind them as they moved forward in line.

"Okay, so then he reaches into his pocket," Taylor said using the computer to zoom in on the image of Dr. M pulling two syringes from his coat pocket. "And see here, he's got more syringes in his pocket."

"This was premeditated," Wu Fei said as the tape continued to run, showing Dr. M stab the first needle into the twin on the right, Lisa, and then Leslie. "He planned on finding twins to use the tiger recombinant on."

"He had a plan then for who he wanted to use that batch on but what about the others?" Sally asked aloud. "We can't say for sure that he is going after agents. It could be a coincidence that the twins were also agents."

"So his customers aren't coming to him, so now he's going to them?" Taylor speculated, turning from his station to look back at the group.

Taylor Hayers was skinny with pale skin, dark brown hair and thick glasses, the miniature and nerdier version of his brother Benjamin Hayers, who worked as a part of Heero's team, who was tall and muscular with dark brown hair and clear skin. Despite their differences in looks and personality, the two got along well and it didn't hurt that with Ben as a part of his team, Heero had the lab's best A/V tech on call whenever he needed him.

"No, this smacks of revenge. He attacked two agents in public in the middle of the afternoon, in view of cameras and witnesses," Trowa said. "He wanted to be seen by us."

"Because we stopped his business?" Hayers questioned.

"And ruined his life," Taylor added. "His practice is gone, he can't go home, and he can't even show his face in public."

"What can we do to track him?" Wu Fei asked.

"Well this coffee shop is only a block from his practice, so he knows the area pretty well and he's probably lurking nearby," Taylor answered.

"We should talk to the baristas, find out if the twins or Murai were frequent customers," Sally suggested.

"What do we know about the syringes he used?" Heero asked.

"Typical medical grade. He could have purchased them anywhere," Trowa said.

"We need to bring Trent Montgomery back in for questioning. Someone is helping Murai and he may know who."

"What do these people have in common?" Sally asked.

"Besides splicing, not much. Two of them met him through his practice, the others met him through his liaisons to find the locations of his temporary labs," Hayers said.

"His motive?"

"We were told by Trent that he wanted to be famous for his work," Heero answered.

"How?"

"So far we're not sure. Dr. Greyson has been through most of the chemicals and from the high concentrations and the mixes; he's assuming that Murai intended to turn people into animals. The strength of the recombinant has been steadily progressing," Trowa answered.

"Why continue to increase the strength if the first test was unsuccessful?" Sally questioned.

"I don't think it was meant to be successful in the way that you mean it."

"What are you getting at Taylor," Hayers asked his brother.

"What if he intended for them to die. We've dealt with a lot of fanatics. Maybe his fame would come from being a murderer."

"But there wasn't a specific target before now."

"Yes there was."

"Splicers," Heero answered.

"Yeah you said it yourself they all had splicing in common."

"Why would a vet kill people who want to be animals? I could understand killing the politicians, the Preventors or people opposed to the idea. Doing this is like killing PETA members," Hayers said.

"We're not working with a sane person. To him this all makes sense," Trowa said.

"The question is how do we find him before he attacks someone else." Wu Fei said.

"Could we track him by scent?" Sally asked.

"What's your idea?" Heero asked.

"Kitten's reaction to Trowa made me think of it. We could try to track him with bloodhounds. If he's still in the area we may be able to find him."

"Special Agent Long is in charge of the K-9 unit," Taylor said turning back to his computers pulling up Long's face and number on the large view screen.

When a phone rang amongst the group, Heero was happy to note that it was not his phone for once. Instead, Wu Fei stepped out into the hall to take the phone call.

"Taylor, I want you to look through the sales from all the medical supply chains in and around the area and tell me if you find anything that Murai could have purchased in regards to making recombinant along with syringes."

"I'm on it, Commander."

"Sally, you and Wu Fei-" Heero started but was interrupted by Wu Fei reentering the room.

"Po, we have a job. Yuy and Barton, you're with me.

"What's the situation?" Sally asked.

"Children held hostage at an elementary school. We need to move out as soon as possible."

"It's here on this colony?" Trowa asked.

"Yes, only a few miles from here from what I was told."

"Alright," Heero said, already switching gears in his head. "Hayers-

"No, Commander. Don't leave me out of this," Hayers protested, before Heero had the chance to give the other man instructions. "Let me come with you."

"I only need two of you. Let's make this quick gentlemen."

Heero looked to Trowa who stood off to the side behind Hayers who was looking at Heero intently. In the midst of a raid or a hostage situation there were no two people on his team better than Trowa and Hayers. Combat missions and infiltration were Hayers strong points as well as not being easily intimidated and why Heero had chosen him for his team. Asked to choose between the two on who he would take into a situation he would always go with Trowa as he knew the other man more intimately and could trust him without a shadow of a doubt. That Hayers wanted in on this job before he knew the details was worrying but Trowa nodded to Hayers giving his go ahead and Heero decided to trust in his judgment.

"Hayers you're with us."

"Thank you, Commander," Hayers said both happy and relieved.

"I'll stay here and work on getting the dogs and having Trent brought in," Trowa said.

They left him behind with Taylor, making their way to the riot room to gear up with Wu Fei explaining the situation. Several children and adults were trapped inside the Vigoro Elementary School cafeteria by an unknown attacker who kept them hostage electrocuting the group. So far no demands had been made but when SWAT mobilized and moved in communications with the team was lost abruptly and after twenty minutes with no positive outcome the Preventors Hostage and Rescue Team, namely Wu Fei, had been called.

When the HR Team was first formed Heero and Trowa's names were at the top of the list, though they had both politely turned down the job. For Heero it was a matter of not wanting his entire job based on missions, sitting around waiting for something to happen before he could go and stop it. Being an agent and then a commander, he worked to stop the crimes before they were committed and it gave him an accomplished feeling to close a case with a perp behind bars.

While he was proud of Wu Fei becoming a Major and in charge of his own group, he didn't relish the attention the HRT received as the group was forced to wade through a crowd of reporters and worried parents yelling questions at them as they approached and crossed the police barricade. He felt weighed down by the familiar tactical vest knowing that inside the building there were children being hurt and he prayed that he wouldn't find any of them dead.

They didn't waste time, taking only a few minutes to acquaint themselves with the school's blueprints that Major Highland of the SWAT team provided them before moving into the building, finding that the mystery items that Hayers insisted on gathering before leaving were four pairs of rubber wading shoes that would help greatly as the school had been flooded with water. The sprinkler system had come on drenching the school's insides after curtains caught on fire and they could see the electricity coming in sporadic burst through the water as they walked. The boots wouldn't lend themselves for running but they would keep them from being electrocuted.

The power was cut in hopes of stopping the yet to be identified target from hurting anyone else, leaving the hallways dark and eerie, and what should have been bright happy posters were washed out looking sinister, the sounds of children screaming echoing down the hall. Heero imagined that this was the effect that most horror movies were supposed to have.

They found the SWAT team down the second hall, four bodies crumbled on the floor caught by surprise. Sally pronounced them dead, although she couldn't be sure that it was only one shock that killed them or if they'd lain in the water and the subsequent shocks finished them off. They were forced to leave them behind, relaying a message to the Major outside that the team was dead before pressing on.

At the doors to the cafeteria, they paused with Wu Fei and Heero standing against the door peering through the glass panes looking for the target. Heero could see several children huddled on top of the tables and crying but couldn't discern where the target was or where the electricity was coming from.

"Somebody's at the door," a voice said form inside the room.

"Help us!"

"Make her stop!"

"Who's there?" a woman's voice called louder than the others did.

"Major Chang with the Preventors. I'm coming in," he said, pushing through the door his gun pointed up as he moved slowly. Heero pushed his own door open following Wu Fei, gun pointing down as he scanned the room looking for the threat.

"Major, please," the woman called out in pain and Heero tracked the voice to the other side of the room where a Preventors' agent lay in almost two inches of water. Her skin was dark almost black and shiny, her hair which he could only assume was once blonde floated in the water around her having fallen off of her head. "Please shoot me."

"What's going on here agent?" Wu Fei asked approaching slowly.

"I can't stop it," she said panting.

"Can't stop what, agent?"

"The electricity, you idiot," yelled a man from somewhere in the room. "Just shoot her before she kills us."

"Ple-Ahhh!" The agent screamed bucking on the ground and Heero could see the electricity shooting from her. Thin blue bolts that lit the room with their radiance, spreading through the air and water. He gasped as electricity passed through him, thankful that he had the boots to keep him from being grounded and electrocuted. The others trapped in the room were not so lucky, screaming as they were shocked.

Wu Fei quickly holstered his gun going for the tranq gun at his side taking enough time to aim before discharging a dart that caught the agent in the neck. She gasped and another bout of electricity surged before she went limp.

"Don't move," Wu Fei called to the room at large as the children moved to get off the tables and out of the room. "Po, check her."

Sally moved forward to check the agent's body with Heero moving with her to identify the woman. Her nametag was melted beyond recognition, the plastic molded into her jacket.

"Something's wrong with her legs," Sally whispered, squatting next to the other woman. Heero followed her gaze to the agent's legs that looked misshapen through her pants. Sally reached a hand out, touching the wet fabric feeling the other woman's legs. As her hand made contact the agent jerked, another round of electricity moving from her and through Sally who screamed in pain.

"Shit," Heero yelled grabbing the back of Sally's vest hauling her up and way from the agent and the water that would have been her death had she fallen into it.

"My arm," she said panting. She clung to him with her left arm, her right limp at her side, her legs threatening to buckle underneath her

"Shoot her in the stomach," Hayers said.

"What?"

"The electricity is coming from her stomach."

Wu Fei didn't question him a second time shooting a dart into her stomach and she gave a weak jerk, blue electricity flaring up, then dying away quickly as the drug took effect. Hayers moved into towards her slowly, carefully reaching a hand out to touch her. Wu Fei moved up to grab Hayers in case he, too, was shocked but Hayers was able to lay a hand on the agent without being electrocuted.

"We need to get everyone out of here before she has a chance to come to," Wu Fei said, mobilizing the few adults in the room getting them to carry as many children as they could out of the cafeteria, warning them of the dead bodies in the hallway. Once the room was clear of 'hostages' they set to work on getting the agent out of the school with paramedics coming in to cart the woman away after making sure she was completely sedated and paralyzed.

It was after they'd carried her from the room that Heero had time to process the scene, taking in the banner hung against the wall proclaiming career day in bold letters. It explained why one of the adults had been dressed in a chef's smock. The curtains around the room had caught fire, and only the ashes remained floating in the water along with a medical grade syringe.

"This was Murai's work."

"He's targeting agents," Wu Fei confirmed.

"How'd he know that she would be here?" Hayers asked.

"It isn't hard to spot us," Sally answered flexing the fingers of her right arm, from where she leaned against one of the tables recovering. "The uniform makes it pretty obvious."

"This isn't just about attacking Preventors; he's made sure that he causes as much damage as possible."

"What did he do to her?" Hayers asked.

"Electric eel, I think," Sally said. "I can't be sure, but it didn't feel like she had any bones in her legs."

"We need to talk to the witnesses. See if anyone saw him and how he managed to attack her and get away with out being shocked," Heero said.

"Hayers."

"Yes, Major."

"You did a good job here," Wu Fei said giving the man a firm look. "your quick thinking on the boots and the electricity saved us here. We could use more people like you with the HRT."

"If you're offering Major, I'm accepting."

"What?" Heero said looking to Hayers confused. Now was not the time to be applying for a new job, especially not in front of his current commander.

"No offense, Commander, I've worked under a lot of people and you are the best commander I could ask for. You get your hands dirty; you'll go dumpster diving with best of us. And when something bad happens on a job, you don't just say oh sixteen out of seventeen ain't bad. You feel cut up about just like we do, but this isn't what I want. I can't sit around filing paperwork and doing stakeouts sitting on my hands waiting for something to happen. I want to be on the front lines, saving lives and if Major Chang will have me then I want to go."

Heero stared stupidly at Hayers having never heard such an impassioned speech from the man or so many compliments from him in the time that they had worked together. He wasn't sure of what to say in this situation and the three pairs of eyes staring at him intently didn't help much either. He looked at Hayers earnest face and saw that being promoted to the HRT would be a dream come true for the other man and could do nothing besides give his blessings.

"Hayers if that's what you want, then I'm behind you," he said and the look of joy on Hayers face was worth losing a member of his team.

"Thank you, Commander," he said to Heero before turning his hopeful gaze to Wu Fei. "Major?"

"Do you recommend him Commander Yuy?" Wu Fei asked formally.

"He's one of the best Major Chang. I hate to see him go but I know he'll be an asset to your team."

"Welcome aboard, Agent Hayers."

"Awe, group hug," Sally said holding her good arm out towards the men and if Heero didn't already know the woman and her sometimes silly tendencies he would have thought the shock had given her brain damage.


	17. Sixteen

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

"Yuy, here," Heero said answering his phone as he walked down the halls of the clinic avoiding staff and Preventors.

"The dogs can't pick up Murai's scent," Trowa said, jumping straight into the conversation with no greeting.

"Why not?"

"The dogs are trained to sniff out bombs and drugs. They won't follow the scent from the clothes."

"What about the police K-9 unit? Can we use their dogs?"

"We've tried with the same results. They sniffed at the clothes for a few minutes before milling around. Agent Long says there's nothing more he can do to help us."

Heero was not pleased with the news, especially after the events of that morning and had hoped that Trowa would have been able to give him good news. He and Sally had come back to the clinic where the woman had turned herself over to the staff's attention while he went on to find out the condition of the agent from the school as well as Lucy and the twins. Hayers and Wu Fei had gone in search of Trent to bring him in for questioning and no doubt discussing a timeline for Hayers' transfer.

He put that thought aside trying to think of a more productive way to help the team find Murai when Sally's earlier words came back to him.

"I have an idea. I'll call you back," he said, hanging up the phone moving with more determination.

The number of Preventors' agents loitering around the clinic had doubled in the time in took to return from the school. Witnesses could neither confirm nor deny seeing a doctor on school grounds, as several of the parents for career day were doctors and many of them older men. The when and how of the attack was left unanswered as no one saw the injection take place and the only person who could possibly answer was completely paralyzed and resting in a drug-induced coma. The agent had been identified as Agent Pam Northman, who had come to the event on behalf of her son, Eric Northman. He had been admitted to Plainsboro Medical Intensive Care Unit suffering from severe third degree burns.

Sally had been right to assume that Northman had been spliced with an electric eel. When nurses cut away her pants her boneless legs had fused into a single tail, which along with the dark brown coloring of her skin served to make her resemblance to an eel more striking and disturbing.

In the ensuing chaos after her attack, Agent Northman had inadvertently killed four SWAT team members, two teachers, six students and injured over thirty others, some like her son, sustaining third degree burns.

Murai had planned for maximum damage and succeeded effortlessly. The twins hadn't caused nearly as much damage in their raged panic, leaving everyone involved alive and whole although fairly cut up. Now, however, neither twin seemed to be concerned with hurting anyone as Gervais managed to cure the women while Heero and the others were dealing with Northman.

The twins were gathered around Duo and Rhys fawning over the two to Rhys' amusement as he kept looking from one woman to the other where he sat on his father's knee smiling. Both women were dressed in their hospital gowns and paper booties, showing that their skin was free of fur and stripes and that they no longer sported claws and teeth so large it kept them from doing more than screaming.

"Oh, he's so cute."

"His ears are so soft."

"They look just alike."

"Oh, look at that smile. Aren't you just the cutest thing?"

"Commander Yuy," one twin said noticing his entrance and both twins straightened up although they both giggled quickly covering their mouths.

Duo glanced at him as well from his spot before the lab's computer, fingers typing away as if being manhandled by twins was a daily occurrence and easily ignored. Rhys' waved, still as energetic as when he first woke up that morning.

"Agents Gilliam, I'm happy to see you're doing better," Heero said greeting the two women.

"You're welcome," Gervais called from the other side of the small group.

"Hn. What about Lucy?" Heero asked already annoyed with Gervais.

"As soon as you let me back into my lab I can restore both Lucy and our newest patient in a matter of hours."

Heero circumvented the twins, Rhys and Duo to approach Gervais where he sat bent over, looking into a microscope. He looked to be wearing the same clothes he'd been brought in and Heero made a mental note to get a change of clothes for the man.

"I can't authorize you being returned to your lab, especially if you were able to cure the twins without any more equipment than what the clinic's lab provided."

"The lovely Lisa and Leslie were hardly a difficult puzzle to solve, but our dear Lucy and Pamela are an entirely different story. An octopus and a knifefish? You don't see that sort of thing everyday and not only do I need time to study the chemistry there but it would take all my resources to undo the damage."

"A knifefish?"

"Why yes. Did you know that the electric eel is not actually an eel but a knifefish? Really, my boy, you should take the time to better yourself and learn such things."

Heero rolled his eyes at the man, "What equipment do you need?"

"Heero, my dear boy, I like you. I really do, but please keep up with me. Those two women have far more advanced splicing done as the animals they were spliced with were more advanced in their make-up. I need the equipment from my lab to restore them and I somehow doubt that you can bring my tank and all my equipment and set it up in this small, little hole you call a lab."

"Why do you need the tank?"

"I thought I just explained this to you," Gervais said looking up at Heero, questioning, "Are you slow?"

"Dr. G," Duo chided.

"No but maybe you are," Heero said angrily, "The branch director himself would have to give you clearance to return to your lab, even if it is for the benefit of other Preventors. I need to be able to tell him more than you need your lab and tank because Lucy and Pam's case are more advanced. So you either explain every detail of this procedure and why you need to be relocated or you can stay in this small, little hole."

"He's so cute when he's angry," one of the twins whispered though Heero heard her.

"I know," Duo said and made no effort to lower his voice.

"Or," Gervais said, "I could take the advice of that nice lawyer who came to speak to me yesterday and refuse to help at all until you drop the charges against both me and Duo."

"What lawyer?" he growled out.

"What was her name again, Duo?"

"Monica Rains."

"That's the one. Duo and I both could be sitting very comfortably in a cell letting your agents die but instead here we are letting our lives be put on hold to help you and yours."

"If you want to spend some time in a cell, Gervais, I can arrange it. I can push your case forward and have you sent to a penal colony by the end of the week. You can stay here and help or we can find out how much fun you have mining asteroids."

"Commander that isn't necessary," one of the twins started moving to touch Heero. He glared at the woman over his shoulder and she stopped in her tracks, hand extended, before backing down looking at him piteously.

He turned back to Gervais, looking the man square in the eye, "It's your choice Gervais."

"Are you always this difficult?" Gervais asked staring at Heero intently.

"Yes."

"I told you that I would prove that I'm not some monster like this Murai and I plan to do just that, though it would help if I could get your cooperation."

"I can't let you return to your lab without the director's approval, but until then I can get you whatever equipment you may need, but a sensory deprivation tank is out of the question until I know the full scope of its use."

"You could have said that before."

Heero took a deep breath, closing his eyes and letting out through his nose telling himself that he could not choke the doctor to death because he still needed him. However, he questioned the validity of the statement. Duo seemed more than able to handle the job being asked of Gervais and if he killed Gervais, Duo would be there to take over. He let go of the thought before he started to seriously consider the possibilities.

"Make a list of the equipment," Heero told him once he felt that he could control himself.

"I'll get what I can for you by the end of the day."

"I'll need the equipment from my own lab. You'll insist on bringing me things that I've never used and I'll have to spend hours reading the instructions to figure them out."

"Fine," Heero growled out. He looked back at Duo, seeing the man's face pressed against his son's hair, knowing that he was being laughed at.

"I need your help," he said to Duo and the man blinked at him in surprise.

"Me?" he asked pointing at himself stupidly, eyes wide and the twins giggled.

"Yes. Is your sense of smell as strong as Rhys'?

"Better," Gervais answered.

"Yeah," Duo said, perking up looking at Heero expectantly, "What do you need me to do?"

###

"Somehow, I expected something more exciting than this," Duo said.

Standing in the artificial sunlight wearing sunglasses very similar to the ones he wore during the war, hands poised on his hips, head tilted back just so, Duo looked very avante garde with his ears cocked and tail swinging. Just standing on the sidewalk before Café du Sol, bracketed by Preventors' agents he attracted attention as random passer-byers on the opposite street stopped to stare at the statuesque man.

"I can't stand much more excitement today," Heero said, "Let's get started before a news van shows up."

Taking in the number of people watching, Heero wished that he'd thought ahead and made arrangements to disguise Duo. It seemed Janet had the right idea covering Rhys' ears with a large cap and shoving his tail down the back of his pants. Duo didn't seem to mind the attention he was garnering but Heero did. Seeing Duo on the nightly news was the last thing he needed.

"You can't be serious. If my dogs couldn't pick up the doctor's scent, what makes you think that he can?" Agent Long asked looking from Duo to Heero with a disgusted look.

It was in that moment that Heero realized that he was short, wondering when 5'8 had stopped being the standard height as he looked to Agent Long who was six feet tall. Over thirty with black hair gelled straight back and a ragged scar over his left eye, Long attempted to look as menacing and imposing as the Doberman sitting by his side.

"Mr. Maxwell has enhanced senses that we hope will help us track the doctor." Heero answered unfazed by Long's rudeness.

"How can you trust that he'll even tell you the truth? Doesn't he work for the doctor?"

"I believe you're confusing Dr. Gervais with Murai, Agent Long."

"It's Special Agent Long, Commander, and I can't believe you would really waste our time with this," he said gesturing at Duo as if he were a thing rather than a person.

"No one is forcing you to stay Agent Long." Heero said purposefully leaving off the special to upset the man for which he received a peeved glare.

"This man has already attacked four Preventor agents and you're bringing in some sideshow freak to find him."

"Sideshow freak?" Duo repeated lowering his shades to peer at the agent.

"Yes. You splicers are nothing but freaks who couldn't be happy with the bodies God gave them, paying good money to be turned into what? A goddamned cat," he sneered.

"I don't see how this is helping us find Murai, Special Agent Long," Flaherty said, inserting herself into the discussion.

When Heero had called to make either arrangements for Duo's tether to be temporarily turned off or its range extended Flaherty had insisted that she come along to monitor her charge's activities personally and take responsibility should he escape. Upon questioning of such unsound reasoning, she admitted that she wanted to get out of the office and out in the field for a day. Watching Duo track the doctor by his smell alone would be a bonus.

"Neither do I," Trowa added. He stood off to the side, frowning at Long.

"I wouldn't expect less from Gundam pilots," Long snapped, "putting your friendship before your job. Your job is to keep people safe not play around with animals."

"Don't you play with dogs all day?" Duo asked but no one answered him.

"I'm not a Gundam pilot nor Duo's friend," Flaherty said, "but I know that offending a man trying to help us is counterproductive."

"He isn't a man, not anymore he's not," Long said sneering at Duo. He opened his mouth to say more but Heero interrupted the man.

"You're digging yourself a hole, Agent Long. I suggest you leave now before you make it any bigger."

"Are you threatening me, Commander?" he asked bearing down on Heero, trying to use his height to intimidate him. The man didn't seem to realize that Heero had taken down much larger men without any effort, else he wouldn't have invaded his personal space the way he did.

"I'm giving you some advice. If you want to keep your job, you'll leave now."

"You're nothing but an animal-humping freak and when you're boyfriend over there can't find anything don't come asking for my help again."

"I regret asking for it in the first place, Long."

Long left then, but not before giving them each a dirty look throwing three sealed plastic bags containing Murai's clothing from the back of his van, securing his dogs. Pulling onto the street, driving away, he left the group without the small cover it provided from the public and his shining personality.

"Did he just accuse you of being into bestiality?" Duo asked amused by the situation.

"I believe so," Trowa answered watching the van disappear around the corner.

"That was nice," Duo said smiling, "I've never been called a sideshow freak before. Do you think I'd fit in at the circus, Trowa?"

"You'd steal the show, Duo," Trowa replied giving the man a smile.

"Long should be reported. Personal opinion shouldn't interfere with doing our jobs and he had no right to insult either of you that way," Flaherty said, clearly upset by the event.

"We'll worry about Long later," Heero said pulling the bags off the street, pushing the idea of having sex with Duo out his mind as well as the implied notion that having sex with Duo would be similar to having sex with an animal.

This was the first time he'd run into someone who believed that Splicers were no longer humans and anyone seeking to be with one a zoophile. While he knew that many religious groups felt that way about the issue, he had never spoken to any of them, much less been accused and attacked for showing anything other than hostility towards Splicers. That Preventors' shared that view and would rather bad mouth Duo and himself than help solve their case was shocking but not nearly as important as getting their job done.

"I've never tracked anyone by smell before," Duo said as Heero brought the bags over to the small group, "Hell, this whole super nose is pretty new."

"Just try," Heero encouraged, trying to decide which bag to give to Duo first.

"Are they clean?" Duo asked, looking at the bags with obvious apprehension.

"We pulled these from his closet." Trowa said taking one of the bags from Heero to pass to Duo.

Duo tilted his shades up, letting them rest on top of his head before pulling the seams on the bag. Pulling a white shirt from within he brought it up to his face, inhaling. He shook his head and Heero was reminded of a dog smelling something it didn't like.

"What is it?" Heero asked

"Nothing. I don't smell anything. What else do you have?" he asked returning the clothes to the bag, tossing it aside.

"This is his lab coat," Trowa said pulling the coat free from the second bag passing it to Duo, who sniffed at the coat in several places before handing the coat back to Trowa while Flaherty watched quietly.

"There's nothing here," he said. "I smell cats, dogs, even a snake but no Murai."

"This one has unwashed clothes," Trowa said pointing to the third bag.

Duo sighed, waving Heero over, "Give it here," he said. He looked him in the eye adding, "I'm only doing this for you. Let's not make it a habit of asking me to sniff people's dirty clothes."

"I appreciate it," Heero said and he watched Duo smell another man's dirty clothing. He did appreciate what Duo was doing for them. Gervais had been right to say that they could refuse the Preventors, and more so Heero, their help. It would go a long way to lessening their sentence to no more than a slap on the wrist, as both men had already proven to Heero that they hadn't been trying to hurt anyone with their work. Knowing that Duo was doing something just for him didn't hurt Heero's ego either.

"I can't smell anything," Duo said pulling the clothing away from his face. "It's like the guy has no scent."

"Maybe, it's the clothes," Trowa said, "Maybe if we went to his house you could pick up something there?"

"I'm not holding out much hope, but we can try that."

Loading themselves into the second van, the short drive was punctuated with conversation as Duo pestered Trowa and flirted with Flaherty. To Heero he didn't speak but gave surreptitious glances out of the corner of his eye as if gauging his reaction.

"Trowa, why is it that you smell so good? It's not cologne. You're not wearing any."

"I don't know," Trowa said shaking his head. He sat behind the wheel of the van while Flaherty rode shotgun. Heero sat beside Duo in the van's middle row of seats, though he was strapped in behind Flaherty where Duo leaned against the back of Trowa's seat, playing with the taller man's hair.

"Do you think it's why the lions at the circus like you so much?"

"I doubt it," Trowa answered.

"Special Agent Flaherty, what's your first name?" Duo asked, abruptly switching topics and his attention.

"Famke," Flaherty answered without turning around.

Duo chuckled, "Famke Flaherty? It sounds like funky Flaherty."

Flaherty turned in her seat to give Duo a look, not amused with having her name made fun of.

"I like it," he said smiling, unaffected. "Famke is a sexy name, it totally suits you."

Heero rolled his eyes choosing to stare out the van's window to avoid looking at the surprised face Flaherty gave at the compliment. If Duo was going to pick up dates Heero would rather he did it on his own time and not in front of him.

He ignored the rest of the conversation, instead gong over a mental to-do list of the many things that needed to be accomplished soon. Trent would need to be interrogated again, along with the long put off meeting with Dr. Greyson, and then he would try to get Gervais to explain the use of his tank without strangling the man. He also reminded himself that he needed to visit Zechs sometime in the next few days, preferably before he went in to have surgery on his leg.

The van slowed, pulling onto the curb, with Trowa unnecessarily announcing that they had arrived. Exiting the vehicle with Duo following him, Heero took in the townhouse Murai once lived in. He was familiar with red brick and white stucco exterior, having stared at it off and on for three days during the stakeout. Now he was going to see inside the house, to see if a lunatic lived any differently from a regular person.

"Holy shit," Duo breathed and Heero looked back to him, finding Duo with the back of his hand pressed against his nose.

"What's wrong?"

"There's something foul in there."

Trowa stepped up beside them the keys to the house in hand, "There's rotting fruit inside. Could that be it?"

"No, this is much worse. Open the door."

Trowa looked to Heero quickly before making his way up the three steps leading to the front door and inside the house. Heero barely focused on the beige-colored walls with pictures and awards nailed into them, following Duo instead as he moved with purpose through the spacious house following the smell. From the foyer, through the living room, they ended in what appeared to be Murai's study, more specifically the back left corner of the room.

Duo pushed a heavy looking armchair aside one-handed, dropping to his knees to pull away the faux-wood floor panels, tossing them carelessly to the side. Heero, as well as Trowa and Flaherty joined him, pulling the boards away uncovering the house's escape hatch. Duo reached for the latch first, pulling the handle back lifting the door open.

"Jesus," Flaherty said, scrambling back from the open hole covering her nose and mouth as they were all assaulted with the putrid smell.

Heero was happy that he hadn't had much breakfast because the stench was enough to make him vomit and they hadn't even identified its source yet.

Duo poked his head into the darkened hole, cursing under his breath before he shifted, jumping down into the fall-out shelter, disappearing.

"Duo," Heero called out, looking into the darkened recesses, seeing nothing. Pulling a penlight from inside his coat, he pointed it down finding the ladder to quickly follow Duo.

Firmly planted on the ground of the shelter, the smell even stronger, he searched around the small area. The light caught the metal table first, reflecting off glass vials filled with multi-colored liquids. This was undoubtedly where Murai made his recombinants, as most of the equipment lining the room was familiar to Heero as he swept the light over the right side of the room. Passing over the left he found Duo staring, his face pale eyes wide, stricken. Heero approached him and once by his side turned the light in the direction that Duo stared.

A corpse. So far rotted that the skin was a mix of browns and greens, shrunken and dried, clothes hanging onto the form in tatters. The body sat on the floor propped against some machinery as if tired and in need of a quick nap that had lasted much too long. The body had to have been down there for months for it to decompose so badly, which meant that Murai had come home day after day knowing a corpse was housed in his make-shift lab and had done nothing. Had worked beside the thing, the smell obviously not bothering him, and Heero could picture the man talking to the corpse, telling it of his plans of fame and glory.

He grabbed Duo's wrist, dropping the light away from the corpse, pulling the taller man back towards the hatch where Trowa waited above, peering into the darkness, hand covering his nose and mouth. Heero forced Duo onto the ladder, having to goad the other man into climbing out of the shelter first before following him up, closing the hatch behind them although the smell had now permeated the house.

"What's down there?" Trowa asked, voice muffled behind his hand.

"A lab and a dead body. Call an ambulance and the CSIs," he answered though he stared at Duo concerned.

He looked to be in shock, blinking rapidly, though he stood motionless. Heero knew that the man was not new to death but something in that cramped space had affected him as if he were living some sort of horror inside his head that Heero could neither see nor protect him from.

"I've already called the CSIs," Flaherty said, hand still covering her face. She stood on the other side of the room as far away from the hatch as she could be while remaining in the room.

"Let's go outside," Heero suggested, nudging Duo to get him moving along with Trowa and Flaherty.

The sunlight was blinding after being both inside the house and the fall-out shelter but the fresh air was more than welcomed as Heero took deep breaths trying to clear his head of the fetid smell of rot. The image of the corpse would be burned into his mind for the rest of his life, not just because finding a dead body in someone's house was disturbing but also because he could tell by the size that it wasn't the body of an adult. Fifteen or sixteen, seventeen at best, holed up in a strange man's makeshift basement possibly being experimented on by a fanatic was not the way one should die. He could only imagine what that person had gone through and they were not pleasant thoughts.

Pulled from his dark reverie by a sharp tug on his tie, he looked up at Duo to find the man looking at him intently.

"Thank you," he said fiercely.

"For what?" Heero asked confused. Surely, the other man wasn't thanking him for dragging into this mess.

"For saving Rhys. I didn't thank you properly. I didn't really understand what he was talking about when he told me about being kidnapped. Just that some men had stolen his clothes and that you came and saved him.

"I talked to Yomi and he told me about the Auction. If you weren't so obsessed with tracking down every Splicer on L1..." he paused, hesitating on the right words, "That could have been my kid in there. That could have been my kid locked up in someone's basement."

He shook his head, dropping Heero's tie from his hand. "I don't even want to think about it. What some pervert could have done to my son had you not found him."

"It wasn't me alone," he said, uncomfortable with all the praise being put on him.

"Yomi told me the whole story, Heero. You gave up the chance to catch this bastard weeks ago to go after those kids, mine included. Rhys says you're the one who pulled him from the cage and carried him out of that place. You didn't even know whether he was my son or not and you took care of him. I really appreciate that Heero. It means a lot."

"You're welcome," he answered embarrassed. He looked away from Duo, finding Flaherty staring at them from only a few feet away having heard the entire exchange. She looked up the street and Heero was saved from having to make more conversation with Duo by the arrival of the Preventors' CSIs who immediately went to work, followed by the paramedics who arrived shortly afterwards to take the body away.

A thorough search of the house yielded no other dead bodies, suspicious chemicals or clothing that contained Murai's scent and after Duo was able to smell the corpse through several layers of steel with no effort, Heero was inclined to believe him. For Murai to have no recognizable scent only brought more questions to mind as to who or what exactly they were dealing with.

###

The Preventors' agents loitering around the clinic were growing exponentially it seemed as Heero found at least ten more people filling the halls, asking questions of each other and the staff as to the current situation. From what Heero could hear another victim had been brought in to the lab and he along with Duo and Trowa made their way to the victim's room finding Wu Fei, Hayers and Gervais in attendance.

"What the fuck is that?" Duo asked and Heero didn't think he could have found a better way to ask about the identity of the creature on the bed.

His brain registered the green scales in varying hues, the arms that ended in hooves, curling horns on top of its head, the dark brown fur growing like a mane down its back, the long winding tail. Putting those things together to make a recognizable animal, or human, however was impossible.

"That's Agent Hargrove," Hayers said, but Heero didn't see it.

The figure on the bed, from its chest down to the end of its tail was one seamless mass resembling a snake though tufts of dark brown fur grew at the tip. His arms extended from broad shoulders not seen on a human being, ending in cleft hooves as big as dinner plates. His face laying against the inadequate sized pillows was deformed, the lower half of his face extended, resembling a muzzle his nose transformed into that of a dog's, black and shiny. From the top of his head the dark fur sprouted trailing down his back, thinning as it went, giving way to more scales. Heero estimated that unwrapped he would have been at least sixteen feet long from the top of his head to the tip of his tail.

"What happened?" Heero asked.

"Agents Hargrove and Talbot were put in charge of guarding Montgomery. When we arrived at the scene Montgomery and Talbot were dead and this is how we found Hargrove," Wu Fei explained.

"I don't understand," he said, looking at the thing that was once Hargrove. "Was Murai going after the agents or Trent?"

"It was definitely Trent. Both agents were spliced. We think Talbot died from the initial injection, but Trent…it was as if someone punched a hole through his head. There was blood everywhere," Hayers supplied.

"Yes, Montgomery was definitely the target and the other agents were collateral damage. From what I know of him, this seems out of the ordinary for Murai. As Hayers said the scene was very bloody."

"Did he work for Murai?" Duo asked.

"He did before we picked him up. He was one of Murai's liaisons in his splicing operation."

"Do you think Murai went to Trent for help and when he refused, attacked him?" Hayers asked.

"Possibly. Trent said he would be free of Murai once we'd discovered that he worked for the doctor," Trowa answered.

"He didn't go to Trent for help," Duo said, "He went after him to kill him for betraying him."

"Trent didn't give us his name," Heero said.

"Doesn't matter, not if Murai thinks Trent sold him out and is the reason why you found him in the first place."

"But to go that far?" Hayers questioned.

"This guy isn't exactly working with a full deck. He's got a big chip on his shoulder and he took it out on Trent."

"But why do this to Hargrove. Why so many animals?"

"He fought back," Heero surmised. "He kept injecting him to but him down. Will he be alright?"

"Oh yes. It's quite remarkable actually. Instead of his body breaking down like the others, he's completely stable," Gervais said.

"What is he?" Duo asked.

"I have no earthly idea, but I do intend to name him something fantastic."

"You're not funny," Hayers said glaring at the man.

"I wasn't trying to be. This man should be dead by all accounts and instead he's perfectly fine."

"I don't see what's fine about this, Gervais," Heero said.

"Yes, well, it is tragic that such a thing happened, but his body has adapted to the changes and he is alive and in no immediate danger."

"What is he spliced with?" Duo asked approaching the bed where Hargrove lay. Heero could only assume that either he was drugged or sleeping as he lay still, curled up on the bed.

"Snake, ram and wolf. It's a strange combination if he chose those vials specifically."

"It's a possibility. Trent was spliced with a snake when we brought him in."

"So this could have gone from premeditated to a crime of passion. He was going to splice him and let him suffer then decided to just kill him?" Hayers asked.

"No I think he intended to simply kill Trent all along," Wu Fei said, "and I also don't think he did this alone."

"What makes you say that?" Heero asked.

"When we found Hargrove and started to revive him he kept saying the name Nellie over and over again. Does it mean anything to you?"

"No but Murai had a network of liaisons. Nellie could have been one of them or a loved one of Hargrove's. We'll need to look into it and see what we can find."

"Did your search turn up anything?" Wu Fei asked.

"A dead body hidden in the shelter below Murai's house."

"Do you have an ID?"

"Not yet."

"I don't get it," Hayers said looking to Gervais, "You spliced Duo and Kitten with like twenty animals apiece and they look human except for the ears and tail, but Murai spliced him and he doesn't resemble anything near human."

"Really, now, I'm not such a barbarian that I would sneak up on them and stab them in the back. What I did took precision and skill, more than just a needle with some murky liquid inside of it. I'm offended that you would even seek to compare me to this Murai."

"It's not about finding a comparison but the differences between your work and his," Wu Fei said, "We need to establish his motive for doing this kind of work."

"He's insane and gets a kick out of hurting people," Duo said. "Why else would he work out of that lab with a dead body sitting in the corner? He's a murderer."

"Why do it this way? Why use splicing?"

"I don't know. I just know that this guy is evil."

"I would have to agree," Gervais said, "There's no logical reason to do this to another human being."

Both Duo's and Gervais' sentiment made Heero think back to Long who didn't believe that Splicers were human and wondered if the man felt the same way about those turned against their will. Would Trent be human in his eyes or an abomination? Would he have condemned Trent for wanting to be spliced before? Told the man that it was his own fault for wanting to alter his body that he was in his current predicament?

"We need to look into finding this Nellie and make an ID on the body we found in Murai's lab."

"Major Chang and I can look into finding out who Nellie is," Hayers said, eager to spend his time impressing Wu Fei no doubt.

"Trowa, we'll go and see Dr. Greyson and see what he can tell us before checking in with the Medical Examiner once he's finished with the body."

"Don't forget to relieve our dear Yomi. He's been standing guard over us so wonderfully but I think the man could use a break," Gervais suggested. "The lovely Sally Po has been cleared by the staff and I would so love to have her watching over me."

"Doc, I think she's spoken for," Duo staged whispered, pointedly glancing at Wu Fei.

"As if he could handle a woman of her caliber," Gervais said giving Wu Fei a once over.

"Come on, Doc, let's go back to the lab before Wu Fei tears you a new one," Duo said laughing, ushering the man out the door and into the hall. Heero looked to Wu Fei noting the dark look on Wu Fei's face. It looked as if Dr. Gervais, Duo and himself were on the right page assuming that there was more going on between Sally and Wu Fei then a platonic partnership.

"We should relieve the Preventors on the door too," Trowa suggested, smirking, "I'll find Sally and let her know about the changing of the guard."

Wu Fei glared but kept his mouth shut walking out of the room with Hayers following behind him. Heero gave one last look to Hargrove before following the procession out of the hospital room, closing the door quietly behind him.


	18. Seventeen

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

Nature called, driving Heero to peel off from the group to make his way to the restroom. He secured himself inside a stall, having never gotten over the vulnerability he felt when using a urinal. While silly to think that two-ply walls would afford him any sort of protection, it didn't leave him in the open with at least one hand occupied with aiming. He had never been in a fight with his fly open, exposing him while in midstream and couldn't guarantee that he could properly defend himself with someone looking at the most intimate part of him swinging and urine running down his leg.

Trowa had laughed for a good ten minutes after Heero had explained his reasoning to him.

The door to the restroom opened admitting two men who were in mid-conversation.

Heero stilled, listening to the two men talk, not surprisingly about him.

"I heard that Yuy's fucking that tall cat guy."

"You mean Duo Maxwell. Pilot 02."

"I don't give a fuck who he is. The guy's a criminal, what with that splicing and he works for that asshole doctor. I mean you heard about Maxwell's kid right? He's spliced with like twenty different animals. I heard the little kid has gills."

"That's fucked up. Why is the Commander even trusting this guy?"

"Because he's fucking Maxwell. He's so busy getting his dick sucked he's not even paying attention to that doctor and what he's doing. Why was he able to change the twins back but not the girl on Yuy's team?"

"She's still alive at least."

"Yeah, and ready to star in her own tentacle porn."

While Heero was used to being talked about and having negative attention focused on him, he did not like it focused on members of his team especially ones who were in no way responsible for their situation.

He zipped his pants, flushing the toilet; he left the stall calmly walking to the sinks standing between the two men. They both gaped at him stumbling over their words, apologizing to him. He read their nametags in the mirror's reflection as he washed his hands nonchalantly. He learned a long time ago that the way to be most menacing was to do nothing and let the other person imagine all the horrible things he could to them.

"Agent Beckham, Agent Adams," he said nodding to the two men as he moved away from the sinks, shaking the excess water from his hands, grabbing a paper towel as he walked out the door.

He tossed the used paper towel into the first trash bin he passed, remembering both the agents' names and faces. While he couldn't report them for what they'd said, he could make their lives hell. No Preventor wanted to be stuck on security detail for overstuffed politicians or work security at a busy shuttle port. He would make sure that both agents stayed very busy for the next six months.

He followed the sound of laughter to find Sally, with an arm in a sling standing in the clinic's lounge with Lisa and Leslie smiling with a dazed expression. They were slumped over, each in their own chair, though one twin had Rhys in her lap leaning against her chest, giggling.

"What's going on?" He asked Sally, who continued to laugh although it had settled more into a chuckle.

"Well, when Gervais restored the twins some of their human DNA was destroyed and needed to be replaced with animal DNA. Cat DNA," she said laughing, "They were all over Trowa when he came by. You should have seen his face. He turned beet red, then ran off."

Heero looked back to the twins and Rhys and the blissful expressions on their faces. They must have gotten their fill before letting Trowa escape from them without trying to give chase. With Trowa's mysterious smell and good looks, he wouldn't be surprised to find the tall man half-naked from the twins' amorous attention.

"Did you know which way he headed?"

"That way," Sally said pointing towards an exit. "Trowa filled me in before the girls and Kitten attacked. I'll look after Gervais and see if I can't get a couple of these nosy agents to go and collect his equipment."

He thanked the woman, leaving things in her hands as he set out to find Trowa. Sally's direction proved accurate as he found the man standing outside the clinic's main entrance with all of his clothing intact looking no worse for wear, though his hair was slightly mussed.

"Are you alright?" he asked not sure how he would have dealt with being mauled by three cats with Sally has a witness.

"I'm fine now. They caught me by surprise."

"Sally won't let you live this down," he said and hoped that when they returned there would be a repeat performance so that for once he would have something to tease the other man about.

Trowa sighed, "I know. Let's go, Dr Greyson is expecting us."

Doctor Archibald Greyson worked not only as a liaison for the Preventors but as a college professor as well. His office was a cluttered mess of books, papers and folders stacked across every available surface including the floor. Maneuvering through the room was difficult at best, as Heero didn't want to cause an avalanche by accidentally bumping into one of the many mountains littering the room. He and Trowa followed the thin man through his main office and into an adjoining room where more stacks took dominance over the room although they shared the space with different lab equipment.

"I've been comparing all the samples that you've given me and I think I've found some useful differences," the aging man began, pointing towards the only wall in the room not lined with posters and notes. Heero stared at it blankly wondering exactly as to what he was supposed to be seeing.

"Give me just a moment I need to find the remote," Greyson said, shuffling through piles of notes before finding the device with a triumphant 'aha'. Turning out the overhead lights, he used the remote to turn on the projector bolted into the ceiling that pointed at the blank wall showing what looked to Heero like three different sets of DNA in mixes of reds and blues.

"Now this is the DNA of a normal splicer," Greyson said coming to stand before the wall pointing to the left most picture. "The human pieces of DNA are in red and the spliced DNA in blue."

Heero noted that the DNA was predominately red with only small sections of DNA marked in blue. After looking at dozens of samples in both computer mockups and under microscopes, he was almost tired of looking at the curling chains of nucleotides.

"In the middle is the DNA of one of Dr M's victims. As you can see, the majority of the DNA is blue. That's because his recombinant completely destroys the human DNA, when too much of it is destroyed the entire chain begins to unravel."

The second strand was almost completely blue with animal DNA except where the red DNA broke apart in several places along the chain, pieces floating like debris away from the main strand.

"Which is why the Splicers die. Sally mentioned that some of the twins' DNA was destroyed and needed to be replaced with cat DNA," Heero said.

"It explains why they were so fond of me," Trowa responded, disgruntled.

"Dr Gervais was able to restore a victim of M's?" Greyson asked looking back at the two agents.

"Yes."

"It would make sense the man is a genius," Greyson said turning back to the wall. "This last strand is from the sample that you sent of the young boy Kitten. As you can see, his DNA is a complete mix of both human and animal DNA, knotted and twisted up on itself to encompass all of the animals that he's spliced with, along with keeping him relatively human. It really is a work of art."

The art that Greyson spoke of looked like a jumbled knot of reds and blues that overlapped, taking on a purple hue in Heero's mind. He couldn't understand the point of twisting a person's DNA into an even more complex puzzle than it already was, much less the reason behind putting someone's life in danger to do it.

"From studying Kitten's DNA were you able to determine the other animals he's spliced with?" Trowa asked, pulling the doctor's gaze away from Gervais' art.

"Oh, yes, I have it around here somewhere," Greyson said casting a searching gaze over papers layered across the room.

"Never mind," Heero said, not wanting to wait while Greyson attempted to search through the many piles of papers.

"What about any special trait's the splicing may have given him?"

"Looking at his DNA doesn't tell me whether he can run as fast a cheetah or breath underwater. With the splicing the potential is there for the boy to have some of the same attributes of his animal counterparts, but you would need to test for that."

"I see. What else can you tell us about the different splicings?"

"Well," Greyson said turning back to the wall using the projectors remote to change the image. Three strands of DNA replaced the first set, all a match to Murai's work though each strand had an increasing amount of blue sections and more destroyed red sections. "From what I've seen of all the samples of M's splicing there is no way that any of his so-called patients were meant to survive. From the first victim to the last, each set of recombinant eats away at the human DNA faster than it replaces it until the body eventually fails."

"We have a victim who was brought in an hour ago who was spliced with multiple recombinants by Murai but he seems to be stable although he doesn't resemble anything human. Could the multiple splicings be what's keeping him alive?"

"I would think that his body would break down more quickly but the idea is plausible. I'll need time to study a sample before I could make a determination."

"I understand. I'll make sure that a sample is sent to you as soon as possible."

"I've mentioned to Agent Barton before that the concentrations are increasing giving the victim less and less time to find medical attention. It is imperative that you find this man as soon as possible. If he continues to increase the concentration at the rate he's been going there'll be nothing you can do for these people."

"We're working on it."

###

Moving the body found in Murai's fallout shelter to the Plainsboro autopsy room did nothing to alleviate the smell, though it was more manageable. The body lay open and exposed to the room, its chest cracked open revealing an empty cavity, the organs removed, set in dishes on a cart nearby. Dr. Phyllis Dellner stood to the right of the body, arms crossed as she gave her report.

"We identified the body. Brandon Moore, seventeen years old. Last known living relative is his uncle on his mother's side, Gabriel Murai."

"Cause of death?"

"Organ failure. From the crime scene photos and the position of the body he died in the shelter and wasn't moved but the blood was obviously cleaned away."

"Can you give us a time of death?"

"At least six months ago, but with the location of the body along with the warm recycled air it may have aged the body more severely. I'll be able to give you a more exact TOD in a few hours."

"Was he spliced?"

"Yes. Tests confirmed that he gave himself a very amateur wolf splicing that caused the organ failure. His appearance wasn't altered at all but his DNA was corrupted."

"He did this to himself?" Trowa asked.

"Yes. I've seen two other cases like this in the last two years. Teenagers desperate to be spliced doing the injections themselves using bad recombinant."

"How? Where are they getting the recombinant from?"

"The internet. There are sites dedicated to splicing that have how-to demonstrations and will sell you the equipment. From the angle of the injection I can determine that he did this to himself."

"Why splice yourself when your uncle can do the job for you and no doubt for free?" Trowa asked.

"You're sure he did the splicing himself?"

"Positive."

"Murai didn't start his business until four months ago. If the time of death is accurate, his nephew spliced and killed himself before Murai got into splicing."

"If his nephew's death is what set him off then everything we know about Murai is useless. He could have lied to Trent about his motive to get him to work for him," Trowa said.

"The same could be said for the story he told the victims. We need to look into Moore's past and how close he and his uncle were."

"I'll be sure to send over any more information that I find."

"Thank you, Dr Dellner."

Heero turned with Trowa following to take their leave, moving towards the steel double doors just as they swung open by an orderly pushing a gurney being ridden by a sheet-covered body. They separated, moving aside to let the orderly pass between them wheeling the gurney to a stop beside Moore's body.

"Who's this?" Dellner asked, coming around to stand beside the body pulling back the sheet, revealing the burned face of a small child.

"One of the kids from the school. Second one we've lost today."

He hadn't seen the victims during the raid on the school, his attention so focused on the agent down. He'd known the stats of those injured and those dead but he hadn't seen it for himself. Hadn't taken the time to imagine the damage done to those who'd suffered third degree burns and needed to be rushed to the hospital, hadn't imagined the children left in that precarious situation, or that they may not survive the day.

The child's face was red, with blackened veins like a spider's web running across the exposed surfaced peeling and flaking away. The child's hair had burned away in patches leaving wisps of blonde hair, a ghost of what it had been before. From the size of the body, he could see that the child was no more than seven or eight years old.

Heero moved towards the child's body wanting to touch the helpless figure, to press his fingers to what was left of the child's skin but was brought up short by Trowa's restraining hand on his arm.

"Don't," Trowa said pulling on his arm. "Let's go."

Heero let himself be dragged away with the image of the child burned into the back of his mind, guilt following him out the door.

Several news crews waited outside the Preventors Headquarters, although across the street from the main building, as they were not allowed on to the property without approval. The distance however didn't stop them from shouting questions at both Heero and Trowa as the taller man dropped Heero off for the night.

They'd gone from the hospital to Trent's apartment to see the scene for themselves, learning from the CSIs that they couldn't determine if Murai broke into the apartment or if the forced entry had come from the two Preventor agents when they'd come in to stop Murai. Hayers had not been exaggerating about the blood. It liberally coated the walls, floor and broken furniture. Having scene Trent's autopsy photos and the large hole missing from his head the blood was easily explained. The techs weren't able to confirm Wu Fei's suspicion about there being a second person involved as no physical evidence was found on the scene that didn't belong to the agents and Trent.

The next stop had them meeting with Madelyn Gregson, the Goth girl who, had Heero's team not intervened, would have been spliced with bat DNA in hopes of having mini leather wings growing from her back. Her story proved to be the same as the first time they spoke to her after the raid. She had been met by Pepper just days before the woman's death and given the address to the abandoned building with a date and time for the appointment. When asked why she had gone to see Murai with news reports about the many splicing deaths warning against the procedure she's quoted the usual blurb about the government trying to oppress the teenage youth of the day.

Heero shook his head as he made his way into the clinic, asking himself how anyone could believe such nonsense. People had died from botched splicing from both credited doctors and backdoor dealers long before splicing had become illegal. To believe that the government had suddenly decided to lie about the facts to scare teenagers out of the procedure showed a sign of stupidity in his eyes.

The thought of course led him back to Duo and his reasoning behind splicing, for not only himself but his unborn son as well. He tried to make some sense of the things that Duo had already told him. Duo had mentioned that he was in a bad place before and that Gervais had offered him something he couldn't refuse. Rhys had not been part of the original offer but a bonus, as Duo couldn't father children naturally. The offer, whatever it was, would cause Heero to hate Duo should he learn of it. Whatever Gervais offered had been happily accepted, as Duo seemed quite pleased with his predicament.

He sighed to himself happy to note that the number of agents milling around had decreased for the night, leaving four agents, one of whom Heero knew to be Northman's partner. At close to seven pm the clinic was quiet, the staff scarce in the building leaving Heero to walk the halls uninterrupted. He met with Lucy talking to her for a few minutes, reassuring her that Gervais was making progress in her treatment. He reminded himself to find out if Sally was able to find someone to deliver Gervais' equipment to the lab.

After saying his goodbyes to the young agent, he went in search of Price knocking on the door to her room before quietly letting himself in. The lights were turned out except for the bedside lamp that did little to illuminate the room although he could clearly make out the shorthaired woman where she sat propped against the bed's pillows.

"How are you feeling, Cheza?" he asked and received a frown in return.

"I'm not dying, Commander."

"What do you mean?" he asked confused at the statement.

"You only call us by our first names when we're dying or severely injured. I'm neither of those."

"Price, then," he said smiling, coming to lean his arms against the bedrails. "How are you?"

"Good, though I'll need to stay off the leg for a while," she answered pressing her hands against her right thigh. "The femur is cracked; it'll take time for the bone to re-knit. They've but metal braces along the bone to keep it straight and for support."

"You won't be cleared for duty for at least six weeks," he informed having once suffered a similar wound, knowing the pain the woman would have to endure.

"My hands and my brain are fine, Commander. I can still work," she said sternly. She paused, quietly staring down at Heero where he rested against the bed. "Hayers told me about the promotion. I didn't know that he wanted to leave."

"Neither did I but I won't hold him back and he proved himself today. He'll be good for Wu Fei's team."

"How bad was it?" she asked, referring to the raid from earlier that morning

"Bad," Heero said recalling the image of the child from the morgue.

"I heard that you called Mr. Maxwell in to help track Murai," Price said smoothly changing the subject.

"He couldn't pick a scent from any of Murai's clothes or from his home although we did manage to find his nephew's dead body in his house and managed to alienate Special Agent Long for the duration of my career," he grumped remembering the tall man's sneering face and rude behavior.

"What happened with Long?"

"He took offense to my bringing Duo in to help and says not come to him should me and my boyfriend need help," he said sarcastically.

"But what about you and Trowa? I thought the two of you were-" She stopped suddenly blinking at Heero. "Forgive me Commander. That was completely inappropriate. I shouldn't have-"

He held up a hand, holding off any more apologies. "No, it's alright. I've heard everyone else's opinions today, I want to hear yours."

Price looked at him with a worried expression no doubt weighing the options of not answering her commander before giving into his request. "I…I thought that you and Trowa were involved. The two of you are very close and I know that you often spend the night at each other's houses, although it is usually after a very hard or painful assignment. I thought Duo was just a good friend of yours."

"Trowa and I aren't seeing each other. He's my best friend. We've gone through some of the same experiences together. I trust him more than I trust myself at times."

"I didn't mean to offend you, Commander. I shouldn't have said anything."

"Earlier today I overheard two agents saying that I was too busy getting my dick sucked by Duo to pay attention to Gervais. I've never even kissed Duo and somehow people think that we're involved."

"They think you're being lenient with him because he's your friend."

"I'm following procedure and have clearance for everything I've done in this situation. I've done everything short of throwing him into cell."

"The rumors wouldn't stop there."

"I'm either too lenient or being an asshole because I won't ease up."

"Who said that?"

"Duo," he said with a sigh lowering his face onto his arms not understanding the sudden need to talk about his non-relationship with Price when he hadn't been willing to bring it up with Trowa during the day. "He won't tell me why he left, what Gervais offered him that would make him leave."

"Why do you need to know so badly?"

"Because it's important to our case. Because spent four years looking for him and I want a better answer than cat boys are sexy. Because-"

"Because if you know why he left the first time you can stop him from leaving a second?" Price asked quietly, forlornly.

"Yes," Heero cried, raising his head to look at the woman as she understood perfectly how he felt to find her smiling at him sadly. "What?"

"Sometimes I forget how much younger than me you are."

"I don't understand."

"Commander…Heero. You could be the best husband, the best boyfriend, the best friend a person can ask for but if they're ready to leave nothing short of chaining them in your basement is going to keep them with you."

He scrubbed his hand across his mouth, frustrated and confused. "How do I know that it wasn't me? How do I know that it wasn't my fault? That I did something to make him leave?"

"I don't think it had anything to do with you, Heero. If it did, he wouldn't be trying so hard to win your approval."

"How do you know that?"

"Heero," she said, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder, leaning down to look him in the eye, "If it was your fault, he wouldn't have gone out sniffing another man's dirty underwear for you."

He blinked then laughed at the mental image of Duo holding a smelly pair of dingy gray briefs to his face, sniffing at them delicately. He appreciated the joke knowing that Price made very few being the serious woman that she was.

"Give it time, Heero. He obviously likes you very much and will tell you when he's ready."

"I don't know that I can be that patient."

"I understand."

He sighed pushing away from the bed. "I need to check on Gervais before calling it a night."

"Goodnight then, Commander."

He smiled in return, "Goodnight, Agent Price."

He left the room, taking the two turns to the lab where the overhead lights were turned out, though Gervais had commandeered a lamp, using its light to illuminate his workstation. He was, as usual, bent over a microscope studying samples. Looking at the man after the quiet conversation he'd had with Price, he didn't need anyone to explain why he disliked the man so much.

Gervais, for all intents and purposes, had stolen Duo away, kept him hidden from Heero for the sake of an experimental treatment. Even with Duo laying only a few feet away asleep in one of the lounges armchairs, feet propped up in another making a makeshift bed, it felt as if he were miles away. Gervais was the man he'd turned to with his problems, the one he'd relied on to help him through his trouble times, the one he looked to for support. Duo worked for the man, had entrusted not only his life but also that of his child into Gervais' hands.

Not prone to being jealous of anyone especially not a sixty-two year old man with thinning gray hair and wrinkled skin who flirted with anything remotely female, he found that he was jealous of the man. He wanted to be the person that Duo depended on, who he went to in times of need. Though Price had said that knowing the reason wouldn't keep Duo from leaving a second time, it would help him to know how to be a better friend to Duo, how to be someone that Duo could come to rely on in times of need.

"What did you offer Duo?" he asked walking into the room.

Gervais looked up from his microscope, squinting at Heero from behind his glasses, "What are you talking about?"

"What did you offer Duo that he couldn't refuse, that made him go with you?"

"Give it up, Heero," Duo mumbled, shifting to sit up though Heero ignored him to keep his gaze focused on Gervais.

"That would be breaking doctor-patient confidentiality, my dear boy. It isn't my secret to tell."

"Why is it a secret?"

"Heero-" Duo started.

"Why is it a secret?" he asked louder, cutting Duo off. "You've had no problem with telling everyone who will listen how great your work is, so why is what you offered Duo through splicing a secret?"

"There is a difference between sharing my achievements with others and telling the world of Duo's condition. I helped him through a very hard time. That's all that you need to know."

"With splicing?"

"Yes, son, I've already-"

"Do it to me," he said impulsively.

"What?" Gervais and Duo asked together.

Heero nearly choked himself in his effort to snatch his tie from around his neck, tossing the dark blue fabric onto the table with one hand, the other jerking the collar of his shirt open to expose his neck, a single button coming free, skittering across the floor.

"If splicing is what helped him through his problems, if it's what made him happy then do it to me too. Make me a wolf, a fox, a fucking turtle for all I care, but do it to me too!"

"Heero you can't be serious," Duo aid softly, trying to talk him down.

"Why not? It helped you didn't it? Made you happy? Why shouldn't I want the same thing?" he asked looking to Duo, where he leaned over the armrest staring at him wide-eyed.

"Oh my dear boy, I am so sorry," Gervais said softly and Heero looked back to the man finding that the older man was apologizing to him with a look of sadness on his face.

"What?"

Gervais let out a deep breath lowering his gaze, "You were so very wrong, Duo. Had I known before I would have done things differently."

"What are you talking about?" Heero asked and Gervais lifted his eyes, his gaze boring into Heero's in a way that made him feel as if the man were inside his head seeing his thoughts.

"You loved him. I don't think you realized it then but you did. I believe you still do. You simply don't understand what it is your feeling."

"That's not…"

"It's why you've been so determined to find Duo. Why you've been so obsessed with learning the truth. You care about him more than you realize."

Heero felt embarrassed and confused. How could this man begin to tell him whom he loved and didn't love? Yes, he had some feelings for Duo, lust being the most predominate but love had never figured into the equation. Yet he couldn't help but wonder if that was what everyone else saw, why the rumors had begun, if everyone else believed him to be in love with Duo when he wasn't even sure of his own feelings.

"I need to go," he said backing away from Gervais' intense stare, "I need to think."

He left the lab all but running, needing to distance himself from Gervais and Duo, though Duo did not want to cooperate following him out of the lab and down the hall calling for him to wait. Heero would have happily escaped the man and hidden in dark hole for a few days but Duo caught his wrist instead jerking him around. He had time to notice that Duo's hair was once again unbound before the man had his face caught between his large, soft, hands and his mouth pressing against his.

Heero was not new to kissing but the kiss he shared with Duo was easily in the top three for best kisses of his life. The feel of Duo's lips working against his, the touch of his tongue twisting with his, the sweet taste filling his mouth left him panting with his knees weak from the experience.

"I don't know what he's talking about," he said between breaths.

"Heero, shut up," Duo said with a laugh swooping in for another kiss. Heero had heard the expression of people kissing as if they wanted to devour their partner but had yet to experience anything remotely similar until that moment. Duo not only had his face cupped in his hands but his tail wrapped tightly around Heero's waist holding him firmly in place while he sucked at Heero's tongue making happy encouraging noises.

Heero was happy to know that Duo returned his semi-feelings and would have continued to let Duo kiss the life out of him but the nagging questions that circled his brain refused to rest. He couldn't start a relationship with Duo without knowing why he left.

He pushed at Duo's arms breaking the kiss, forcing the taller man back a few inches. Duo's face was flushed his lips wet and inviting but he forged ahead.

"I need to why. I can't do this unless you tell me why you left."

"Heero," Duo sighed dropping his hands away from his face to rest on his shoulders, tail wrapped snugly around his waist still. He dropped his head pressing his forehead against Heero's, closing his eyes before he spoke again. "I…I was on every drug I could get my hands on. Vicodin, coke, heroin, all of it, anything that wouldn't make me feel, that would make the pain go away."

"Why," Heero said softly, shocked, having never imagined such a thing.

"I was depressed Heero. I thought the Earth rotated just to spite me. I felt like everyone hated me, that I couldn't do anything right. I couldn't even get a decent job after the yard went under and my life felt like shit. I was miserable."

"Why didn't you come to me, Duo? I would have helped you."

"I didn't want your pity. I didn't want you to think I was weak. I didn't think you cared about me enough to help."

"Why would you say that?" he asked balking at the idea that Duo could ever believe that he didn't care about him. Besides working with Trowa on a day-to-day basis, he'd spent more time with Duo than anyone else. It had been devastating for Heero to find that Duo had disappeared without a trace. Now to find that Duo, even if in the midst of his depression didn't think them friends was crushing.

"Because I didn't think anyone cared about me, Heero. I thought the only reason you even talked to me was because we fought in the war together, that we weren't really friends."

"But you seemed so happy. You never looked depressed to me. How did I not see it?"

"Heero some days I was so high I couldn't even remember my own."

"That doesn't explain why I couldn't see it," Heero said pulling away from Duo completely. "If I was so in love with you, why couldn't I see that you were hurting?"

"I didn't want you know Heero. I kept it from everyone. This isn't your fault, Heero. I needed to leave for myself, there's nothing you could have done to change that."

Those words didn't reassure him; in fact, they made him feel worse. Earlier in the day, Trowa had said almost the exact same words in regards to the child who'd died at Plainsboro Medical. It wasn't his fault and nothing he could do, not in personal life or his professional life. He felt worthless and inadequate in that moment. He had failed Duo all those years ago unable to recognize that the man was in desperate need of help. If he couldn't help the man he'd once called his best friend, how could he possibly save anyone from Murai?

"I need to go."

"Heero?"

"I need to go," he repeated, pulling against Duo's tail to free himself and Duo unwound the furred appendage, making no move to stop Heero as he turned and walked away.

He managed to clear the concourse and the first few floors of the main building before the guilt began to eat away at him. He felt useless, blaming himself for the deaths that had happened that day, the charred face of the child multiplying into that of the dozens of faces he couldn't save that day. He blamed himself for not shooting Murai on sight, for not finding the man faster, for not being in time to save Leila Johnson, for not being there for Duo.

He stood outside the door to Rhys' room tears tracking down is face, feeling like an utter failure, trying to convince his body to move away, to find a different room and not disturb the boy but couldn't. He pressed his head to the door, taking deep breaths to steady himself, trying to cope with the aftermath of a long and trying day, feeling as if he'd been on a daylong rollercoaster leaving him weak and disoriented.

When he felt more like himself he opened to door to find Rhys standing docilely just inside the room, ears drooping as he looked at Heero, hands clasped before his chest. He wore the same light blue pajamas from the night before, his feet bare.

"Mr. Heero," he said quietly, reminding Heero that the boy had sensitive hearing and had no doubt heard him through the heavy door.

He picked the small boy up holding him close to his chest, letting the boy wrap his arms around his neck in a comforting hug. He stood holding the boy for a few moments before carrying him to the bed, where he lay down keeping the boy close as the three-year-old whispered assurances in his ear, running his small hands over Heero's face and hair until he fell asleep.


	19. Eighteen

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

Waking the next morning Heero lay still, cradling Rhys close to his chest, the boy's head tucked under his chin, as he came to term with his emotions. He was not new to emotional overload and had even come to terms with some of his triggers. Children being hurt or threatened, friends in need, cases that ran him around in circles, all put him on a turbulent emotional rollercoaster that took time and patience to slowly work through.

He pulled away from the boy, sitting up, throwing his legs over the side of the bed, scrubbing his face with both hands. He felt marginally better after last night's peaceful rest attributing it to Rhys' comforting touch keeping thoughts of self-doubt and guilt at bay.

He looked back at the boy as he started to wake with a stretching yawn. He blinked large sleepy violet eyes at Heero, absently scratching an ear. Crawling to the edge of the bed, he sat beside Heero swinging his legs back and forth.

"Hi."

"Hi," Heero answered smiling down at the boy.

"Do you feel better now?"

"A little, yes."

"Naps always make me feel better."

"Really?"

"Yep," Rhys answered nodding.

"That's good," Heero replied wishing that all of his problems could be solved so easily.

"Why were you sad?"

Heero paused deciding the best way to answer the boy. He didn't want to rehash the entire events of last night to a three year old who more than likely wouldn't understand half of what he was told.

"There is a bad man hurting people," he told Rhys, "And I can't find him."

"You'll find him," Rhys said confidently, nodding as his feet continued to kick.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Cause you're good at catching bad guys."

"Yeah?" Heero asked taken aback by Rhys' faith in him but was warmed by it nonetheless.

"Yeah."

"What else am I good at?" He asked curious.

"Kissing," Rhys replied with the same sureness.

"Kissing?" Heero asked stunned. "How do you know I'm good at kissing?"

"My daddy told me."

"When?" Heero asked finding it hard to imagine Duo creeping into their shared dorm room in the middle of the night to whisper to his son Heero's kissing abilities.

"Last night in my dream."

"You had a dream that Duo told you I was a good kisser?"

"MmHm. He says all kinds of weird stuff in my dream."

"What does he say?" he asked wondering if it was a coincidence or if Duo and Rhys were somehow psychically connected.

"That cement tastes funny."

Coincidence then, he thought though it made him smile. Rhys had a knack for making him smile, his innocence and naivety shining through in everything he said and did. It was no wonder that he was so precious to Duo.

"I didn't know that your Dad used to be so sad," Heero told Rhys, "I bet having you around cheered him up."

"My daddy thinks you don't like him."

"I like him, very much in fact," he admitted, "But he went away without saying goodbye."

"That's bad," Rhys said, his legs coming to a standstill. "Are you mad at him?"

"A little, yes."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," he said with a sigh. "It's not anyone's fault. He needed to leave to be

happy. I just wish he would have come to me first."

"Oh."

"Don't worry," he said, rubbing the boy's head. "We'll talk and work things out."

"Okay."

"Let's get cleaned up and get something to eat."

"Okay," Rhys said excited.

Heero rose from the bed, helping Rhys to hop down, who remembering the rules from yesterday immediately set to work, helping Heero to make the bed, tugging a the sheets trying in his own haphazard way to straighten them out.

"Mr. Heero."

"Mm?" Heero called absently as he tried to adjust the blankets and stop Rhys from ripping them completely off the bed at the same time.

"Do you think Mr. Trowa will marry me?"

Heero froze completely caught off guard by the question suddenly imagining both Rhys and Trowa dressed in tuxes standing at the alter, and the dozens of books the boy would need to stand on to reach Trowa's impressive height for their kiss. He couldn't stop the loud laugh that burst from his mouth at the thought.

"I think he's too old for you," he told Rhys although he was reminded of Wu Fei's comment about Rhys having a love of older women. Obviously he had a love for older men too. Not one to miss a good opportunity to embarrass Trowa he added, "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

"Okay," Rhys said giving a very serious nod, his face set with determination and Heero could only imagine the startled look on Trowa's face when he was proposed to by a three year old and wondered if Duo would give his blessing.

After making the bed and gathering clean clothes for Rhys they headed to the showers where the boy behaved perfectly, standing under his own showerhead without disturbing any of the other agents besides a call of greeting. Dried, with his hair combed neatly he waited in the locker rooms while Heero took his own shower. He peeled away the gauze still wrapped around his chest finding that the busy day of activities had not pulled any of his stitches and that the scratches had already started to scab over. Rhys had let out an emphatic 'ouchies' upon seeing his chest but helped to redress Heero's wound all the same.

Breakfast was a repeat affair with Rhys wanting and getting everything on the cafeteria's menu although this time Heero was able to eat his breakfast as he listened to the child recount his day spent with Lisa and Leslie until they finally went home. He mentioned that both twins had wanted to marry Trowa, which explained the earlier question as Heero imagined that Rhys wanted to get to Trowa before the twins could. He didn't have the heart to tell the boy that Trowa wouldn't be marrying him, or anyone, in the near future.

The next stop was the playroom to deliver Rhys into Joyanne's care and Heero made a note to talk to the woman about how much this arrangement was inconveniencing her and her work. She worked on retainer for the Preventors not as a glorified babysitter and steps would need to be taken to ensure Rhys' safety while letting everyone do their jobs. Upon opening the door to the room he found not only Joyanne but Rains, Duo and Janet all seated around a small table with what looked to be legal documents sat both in front of Duo and Janet. The group as a whole jumped guiltily at his arrival looking away quickly.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing," Rains said gathering the papers from Duo and Janet folding them over twice.

"Judge Carson has granted Mr. Maxwell full custody of his son and we were just finishing up some legal paperwork."

"Such as?"

"Well for starters Rhys is now a legal citizen of L1 with a birth certificate and Citizen ID to prove it."

"I see," Heero replied though he didn't believe that that was all those papers had meant.

They were hiding something from him and although Duo's face looked pleasantly blank his ears were lowered, half-mast, belying the truth. Heero wished the man had had the ears four years ago, it made reading him so much easier.

"Mrs. Hughes as also offered her services to be Rhys' caretaker once again," Rains continued gesturing towards the older woman, "And Rhys will go home with her today."

"Doesn't that sound good Kitten?" Janet asked and Rhys turned away in response hugging onto Heero's leg pressing his face against his dark blue khaki's.

"What's wrong?" Heero asked brushing his fingers across the top of the boy's head.

Rhys shook his head against Heero's leg refusing to answer, clutching tighter.

"Come on, kiddo," Duo said rising form his chair. He circled the table to squat down near his son. "Don't you want to go home with Nana Janet?"

Rhys peeked around Duo looking at the elderly woman. He pressed his face against Heero's leg again before he nodded in answer.

"Then you gotta let Heero go first," Duo said with a chuckle. Rhys only shook his head again. "Come on, Kiddo tell me what's wrong."

"I don't want to leave Mr. Heero. I don't want to make him sad."

"Oh," Duo said his ears further dropping.

"Rhys," Heero said gaining the boy's attention, "I know where you live. You're not leaving, you're just going home."

"You won't be sad?"

"No," Heero said smiling to prove it. "I know that I'll see you again."

"Oh. Okay!" Rhys said instantly perking up. "Can I go now?"

Heero looked to Janet who was smiling in an indulgent motherly way, "Of course."

She rose coming to take the small boy's hand as Duo, too, rose moving to give them space.

"Can we bake cookies?" he asked, all but forgetting his hesitation in leaving Heero alone mere moments before.

"I take it then that you've approved all of this?" Heero asked Joyanne once the pair was out of the room.

"Yes. Janet is very good for him and now that Duo has custody it's really his decision on what is done with Rhys."

"She's just watching him for me until all of this blows over. He doesn't need to be shuffled from one person to the next if it's not necessary."

"I see. Well then I'll let you get back to what you were doing," he said intending to leave the room and to the clinic where the rest of his team would be waiting.

"Wait," Duo called grabbing his wrist. "Um, do you think you guys could give us a minute?" he asked, looking solemnly at Rains and Joyanne.

The two women left failing to hide the knowing little smiles the shared as they passed the two men heading out the door. Heero was embarrassed to see yet another person making assumptions about his feelings and his relationship with Duo. He'd had time that morning to determine that he was not in love with Duo but very much infatuated and would like to spend more time with Duo but that he didn't know him well enough to call it love.

"About last night," Duo started, "I'm sorry about everything Heero. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's alright. I needed to know the truth."

"You were pretty upset," duo answered stepping close, running his fingers of his right hand through Heero's hair.

"A lot of things happened yesterday, but I'm fine now."

"That's good," Duo said softly adding his left hand to run through Heero's hair, the pads of his fingers massaging his scalp as he leaned closer bending for a kiss.

"No," Heero said bringing duo up short with his hands on his arms. "Not here."

"Does that mean you'll invite me to your house?" he asked seductively and his tail brushed over the back of Heero's thigh making him shiver.

Heero didn't know for sure where the moment was headed, only that he very suddenly wanted to follow through with whatever thoughts Duo was entertaining in his head but found himself stalled by the ringing of his phone and his body gone cold at the sight of the Director's office number flashing on the screen. He pulled away from Duo, answering the call.

"Yuy, here."

"I want to see you in my office. Now."

The phone went dead before Heero could reply and he knew that things were not good. He didn't fear much in life but being called to the Director's office in such a blunt way left him wary of the conversation ahead.

"Who was that?"

"The Branch Director. I need to meet with him."

"Later, then?"

"Yes."

###

Branch Director Gordon Yates was a tall and heavy built man but Heero had seen the man in action once when the colony was threatened by terrorists and knew first hand the power and the speed the man possessed. Fifty three years old with salt and pepper hair, weathered skin and piercing blue eyes he was not the type of man to be trifled with and stepping into his office, having that powerful gaze focused on him, Heero worried about the state of his affairs. Yates stood behind his desk, with the blinds shuttered giving the wood furnished office a more intimidating feel.

"Commander Yuy, can you tell me why I found this in my inbox this morning?" he asked turning towards the large monitor inhabiting the right hand wall, where the screen flashed to life displaying the day's newspaper with the headline reading 'Preventor Agent Electrocutes Children'.

"Director Yates the story has been misconstrued. Agent Northman was attacked by Dr. Gabriel Murai and was not able to stop herself from hurting the children."

"It doesn't matter that the story was misconstrued Commander, the fact is that one of my agents hurt civilians and I found it splashed across the headlines."

"I understand Director and my team and I are doing everything possible to capture him."

"You've been on this case for over four months Commander and the death toll is getting steadily higher."

"Director I assure you-"

"One week, Commander. You have one week to have someone behind bars for these murders or I take over this case."

Heero froze at the director's declaration. He had never had a case taken away from and having it even threatened was a blow to his pride. He'd spent months doing everything possible to track the man and he'd be damned if he lost it to someone else.

"I understand, Director," he answered.

"I understand that Major Chang and Lieutenant Po working alongside your team in place of a downed member," Yates said looking down at files open on his desk flipping through different pages.

"Yes, sir."

"I've read over the letter Dr. Gervais had sent to me and you know as well as I do that I

cannot approve this move."

"Director from what he's explained this may be the only way to restore the others. He's already proven his abilities where Agents Gilliam are concerned."

"Commander Yuy I'm willing to overlook the issues here by only so much. Dr. Gervais is not the only doctor specializing in splicing in the Earth Sphere and is under investigation for kidnapping, illegal splicing on both a minor and an adult, unregistered cloning and several other misdemeanor charges. Allowing him to take our agents into his lab gives him the upper hand and puts their lives in danger."

"I don't believe that he means anyone any harm, Director and Duo Maxwell has admitted that he went with Gervais of his own free will," he said defending the two men.

"The topic isn't open for discussion Commander. I've spoken with Dr. Anderson who has been monitoring and learning the procedures done by Gervais and once he feels that he can properly care for his current patients as well as any of those admitted later, I want Gervais in a cell and out of the lab."

"Yes, sir. And Duo Maxwell?"

"While Maxwell may have indeed gone with Gervais under his own power we don't know that he stayed that way. He kept Maxwell encased in a sensory deprivation chamber that have most commonly been used to mentally torture or brainwash victims. Has he had a psych analysis done yet?"

"No sir."

"See that it's done Commander. I also want tests done on both him and his son. I want to know the full extent of their senses and abilities. I want to find out if either of them can generate electricity or spit poison before it's too late to stop them."

"Yes, sir," he said unable to argue with his superior about any of the decisions he was making in regards to Heero's case.

"You are a good agent and an excellent commander, Yuy. You've never failed to solve a case but I believe that this particular one may be over your head. There are too many personal elements getting in the way of things. I don't want to pull you from a case that you've worked so hard on but I will if you force me to."

"I can handle it, Director Yates."

"See that you do. You have one week."

He left the director's office shortly after that more determined than ever to find Murai. Yates was right; he'd never let a case go unsolved and he would not let Murai tarnish his record nor would he let him continue to harm innocent people. He already had several plans in mind for the day as he crossed the concourse heading to the clinic to meet up with his team, the biggest being identifying who Nellie was and if she was a part of Murai's scheming.

Trowa stood waiting for him just outside of the clinic, a look of concern on his face.

"How did the meeting go?"

"Not good. We have a week to find Murai or we're off the case."

"We have another problem then" Trowa said moving through the automatic doors with Heero keeping pace beside him. "I spoke with Greyson this morning and he doesn't believe that Murai was the one to attack Northman. The recombinant used is different for those used with both the twins and Hargrove."

"We can't have a copycat this quickly. Someone working with Murai could have done the attack."

"Nellie, maybe?"

"I think so. No one from the scene remembered seeing a doctor matching his description and we didn't know to question for a suspicious woman."

Heero stepped into the labs interior interrupting whatever conversation the assembled group was having. Around the lab tables sat Gervais, for once not leaning over a microscope, Sally, Price and Duo, while Weber, Hayers and Wu Fei took up space against the walls.

"Heero, my dear boy, should I be packing things away for the return trip to my lab? I already have Dr. Anderson and the staff on standby to move our patients."

"The director didn't approve it," Heero said answering Gervais keeping the rest of what the director had ordered to himself.

"There's not much else I can do for them like this."

"There's nothing more I can do," he said honestly. He turned to the rest of his team gauging their reactions to the situation while Gervais spoke to Duo quietly. "The director has given us a week to find Murai or he'll pull us off the case."

"Shit," Hayers said. "We've been on this case for months. Did he say who he'll give it to?"

"No and I don't plan to find out," Heero said vehemently. "Murai is slipping. He's deviated from his original plan and is using help. It's only a matter of time before he makes a fatal mistake."

"Right now we can only assume that he's targeting agents," Wu Fei said, "Everyone by now knows to be on alert for him."

"We can use that to our advantage, if he tries to attack an agent they should be ready to defend themselves against him."

"So far, the three attacks have been generalized to the same area. We can assume that he's hiding nearby," Price said, looking at no doubt a map on her laptop's screen.

"Did you find anything on Nellie?" Heero asked Wu Fei and Hayers.

"We weren't able to find a definite match, but we have three possibles who all have had some kind of affiliation with splicing, including two women who were spliced and one who currently runs a campaign for the legalization of splicing," Wu Fei answered.

"I'll leave it to you two to bring them in for questioning. We also need to look into Brandon Moore and why Murai would have left his nephew's body in his basement for so long. Price, you and Po can work together to give me a solid history for the boy. The M.E. should call within the next few hours with her results."

"What about me, Boss?" Weber asked.

"You're with me and Barton. I want to do my own search of Murai's practice and canvass the neighborhood to see if anyone has seen anything suspicious."

"Cool," Weber said and from his expression Heero could see that the man was happy to finally be back in the field doing something more productive than babysitting Gervais and Duo.

"Heero," Trowa called and Heero looked to the taller man seeing his attention focused on the doorway to the lab where three unexpected visitors stood.

"Quatre," he said surprised to see his blond friend. He knew it would only be a matter of time before the business man came to see Duo for himself but didn't expect to see him so soon and with such short notice. He looked both regal and powerful in a navy pinstripe suit with a matching tie and baby blue shirt, standing four inches taller than Heero with his hair perfectly styled and a welcoming smile on his face.

"Heero, it's good to see you," he greeted stepping forward to envelope Heero in a hug. He pulled away and Heero was not surprised to note that Quatre's assistant and bodyguard had moved along with him.

Michelle 'Michael' Brennan worked as Quatre's assistant and after many meetings Heero felt as if he had a handle on how to deal the woman. Saying she was neurotic or paranoid was an understatement. She lived and died by her tablet PC, keeping the computer close to her chest when not jotting down every word that Quatre spoke. She kept detailed lists of everything, being so meticulous that she could tell Heero what Quatre had for breakfast six months ago, though she was not inclined to let him anywhere near it for fear that he would steal it from her.

She kept a constant vigil on Heero, staring at him over the rim of her glasses even as she moved with Quatre as he hugged Trowa. While her name was Michelle she insisted on being called Michael claiming that it was the proper way to pronounce her name. Heero had quickly given up trying to explain otherwise to the woman after she had all but browbeaten him into submission. She was small, with thick curly red hair she kept in a messy bun wearing a black skirt suit and low heels and looked as if a strong breeze would blow her over but she was not a woman to be trifled with and didn't hesitate to give her opinion no matter how much it hurt to hear.

Quatre's bodyguard was far less interesting keeping to himself unless needed to defend Quatre and after a very thorough and in-depth background check Heero had come to trust Ken Spears with his friend's well-being. Wearing a black on black suit with no tie and wraparound shades he looked every bit the stereotypical bodyguard but Heero knew that the man wouldn't hesitate to do whatever it took to ensure Quatre's safety.

Heero followed Quatre as he moved to hug Wu Fei next, giving a pleasant hello to Hayers and Weber as he passed them. From the corner of his eye he could see Duo all but bubbling with excitement as he rose coming towards Quatre excitedly with his arms out in anticipation of a hug, calling Quatre's name.

"Don't touch me," Quatre said coldly, twisting away from Duo surprising not only Duo with his actions but the room as well as all the attention was suddenly focused on the pair.

"Quatre, what's going on?" Duo asked, clearly hurt by the other man's reaction to him.

"I came here to see my friend and I find the Duo Maxwell that I knew is no longer here."

"What are you talking about? I'm the same guy I was before."

"No, you're not. The Duo that I knew was never so selfish as to condone making a clone of himself for the sake of an experiment."

"Rhys is my son. He's more than just some clone."

"He's the byproduct of an experiment for your own splicing. Adopting him as your son doesn't change that."

"What the hell? Have you and Heero been having late night chats about my kid?" Duo asked angrily looking to Heero instead of Quatre.

"I never spoke to Quatre," Heero said defending himself.

"I did," Trowa said lending his voice to the conversation. "I told Quatre what you told us."

"And suddenly I'm not the person you thought you knew? I think you guys would have been happier to find me locked up someone's basement, beaten and starving to death."

"That isn't what we wanted but finding you this way isn't what we expected either," Wu Fei added.

"Yeah? Well, people change. We can't all be so goddamned perfect, now can we?" he asked looking back to Quatre.

"Does this make you perfect?" Quatre asked gesturing to Duo's ears and Heero was surprised to hear some his same arguments coming from Quatre's mouth. He'd been sure of a happy hug-filled reunion when the blond decided to visit and instead the man was hostile and on the attack.

"I don't have to answer you. You weren't even fucking here four years ago you don't know what I was going through. You don't know shit about me and if all you came here to do was bitch about me cloning myself then you can fuck off."

"You don't deserve him. He's nothing more than a means to an end for you. You used him like a lab rat."

"I said fuck off," Duo growled taking a threatening step towards Quatre and Spears was quick to intervene forcing Duo to take a step back and away from his charge.

"That's enough, Quatre," Heero said placing a restraining hand against the blonde's arm. Quatre looked Heero in the face before his gaze traveled down to Heero's hand and back to his face again, but Heero did not take the warning in his look instead tightening his grip. "I'll walk you out."

Quatre gave one last look to Duo who'd turned his back on the group, before turning to leave with Michael and Spears beside him and Heero, along with Trowa and Weber following.

"What the hell was that Quatre?" Heero asked once they were outside of the clinic with Weber, Spears and Michael giving the three pilots space to talk.

"I wasn't wrong for what I said. It's the truth."

"You don't know that. You haven't even talked to him for yourself."

"I don't need to. The man in that room is not Duo Maxwell."

"You don't know the full story, Quatre."

"And you do? Or at least you believe that you do."

"Yes," Heero said giving a quick explanation of what Duo had told him last night hoping that Duo wouldn't be angry with him for sharing his secret.

"You believe that?" Quatre asked incredulously. "You think that Duo, the same Duo who wouldn't take pain medication with three broken ribs would get mixed up with drugs that badly?"

"I don't know what all depression could make a person do," Heero said defending Duo although he felt very stupid for not questioning what he'd been told after Quatre's statement.

"Are you saying that Duo lied to Heero, Quatre?" Trowa asked.

"Yes," he said seriously. "Don't trust him, Heero. It's not just him lying to you but the doctor as well. I can feel the deception all around them. They're hiding something from all of you but a lot of it is from you specifically, Heero."

While Heero didn't doubt Quatre's abilities to know certain things, he couldn't bring himself to believe that Duo would outright lie to him. He knew there was more to the story where Duo's disappearance was concerned, that there were more questions that needed to be answered but he also knew that Duo cared about him and wouldn't do anything to hurt him.

"I'll take it into consideration, Quatre."

"If he would go so far as to clone himself for the sake of splicing then there is no telling what else he may be capable of. I want you to do more than take it into consideration. Forget whatever feelings that you have for him because he doesn't feel the same about you."

"Quatre," Trowa said softly trying to dissuade the other man form continuing but he bulled forward.

"He is going to betray you Heero."

"I'll make a note of it," Heero said not happy with the turn of the conversation. He was not sure who he should believe in at the moment. He knew that Duo was hiding things from him, keeping his past a secret but he didn't believe that the other man would betray him not after the night before where he'd finally admitted some of the truth. Duo was not the type of person who would kiss someone he didn't truly care for. If Quatre was right however, and everything that Duo had said and done so far was a lie, then he would need to take steps to find the truth. He had yet to rule out Duo's changes in behavior has a byproduct of Gervais' tank. He needed that psych evaluation done, the sooner the better.

His phone rang stalling any further conversation for the moment as he memorized the address the dispatcher gave him, making a mental map to the destination of the latest incident. He left with only Weber accompanying him, giving Trowa instructions to see to getting the evaluation done and Quatre safely returned to his hotel.

Where the last two scenes involved agents being transformed into mindless animals this one was refreshing in no one being stabbed in the back. The syringe of recombinant lay broken in the middle of the Japanese restaurant's floor, the green liquid seeping into the hardwood floors that Weber set about collecting. The only person hurt was one Shinji Himura, who sat atop one of the dining tables as a paramedic tended to her dislocated shoulder while her husband hovered close by.

"He tried to sneak up behind me but I caught his reflection in the mirror," the agent said nodding her head towards the decorative mirrors against the wall. "I subdued him easily and would have arrested him but his partner came out of nowhere."

"What did the partner look like?"

"A girl. Seventeen, maybe. She had black hair and brown eyes, very nondescript but I'd know her if I saw her again. She didn't look stable."

"What do you mean," he asked wanting her to elaborate.

"She looked crazed," she answered looking to her husband for confirmation.

"The way she smiled," he said, "It was frightening."

"She just appeared in front of me. I trained my gun on her and she just moved and the next thing I knew she was right in front of me. She grabbed my arm with one hand and just sort of tugged. It didn't take her any effort to rip my arm out of place," she said with a wince as the medic applied pressure to her shoulder. "When I grabbed at her she kicked me into the table."

She gestured towards the table that was split down the middle and Heero could only imagine the strength it would take to dislocate a person's arm and kick them hard enough to send them flying into a table. Murai was working with a very serious player who would go to any length to protect the doctor.

"What else can you tell me?"

"She didn't leave unscathed. I ripped some of her hair out when I grabbed her. I had one of the techs bag it when I came to."

Said tech held up the clear plastic bag containing the few strands of black hair and Heero was sure that they had found the mysterious Nellie or at least a piece of her. He passed the evidence to Heero before rejoining the other technicians in scouring for clues.

"Good work, Agent Himura," Heero said sincerely. He had once considered and had even invited the female agent to join his team before but had been politely turned down as she enjoyed her current position. With Hayers leaving, and finding that the woman was just as skilled in her job as she was before, he was determined to get have her on his team.

"Ow," she cried in pain has the medic tried to bend her arm to secure in a sling. "Are you trying to rip my arm off?"

"Shi-chan," her husband chided softly.

"Sorry," she mumbled to the medic. Turning back to Heero she said, "I don't know why they picked me, I'm not even in uniform."

"Commander, we need to get her to the hospital, if you're done?" the medic asked helping her down from the table.

"How often do you eat here?" he asked, suddenly reminded of the twins who often visited the café where they were attacked at.

"About twice a week."

"Sometimes in uniform," her husband supplied.

"They must have seen me here before," she said, the idea dawning on her.

"This means he is targeting agents and it isn't a coincidence. Go on to the hospital, we'll finish up here."

He watched the three make there way through the crowd to the waiting ambulance before giving his attention back to the evidence bag in his hand. As he had predicted, Murai was slipping and with the hair Agent Himura managed to snag from his partner it would only be a matter of time before they found the both of them. If he was lucky he'd find them both long before the week was out.


	20. Nineteen

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

"I'm sorry, Commander, this is very hard for me to hear," Deb Long, who was of no relation to Agent Long, said as she took a seat behind her desk across from Heero and Weber. "I worked with Brandon personally and hearing that he's dead…"

"Please take your time," Heero said to the shocked woman.

After leaving the restaurant and giving the CSIs strict instructions to call him the moment they found anything with the DNA from the hair, he and Weber had followed Price's findings tracking down Brandon Moore's social worker. The boy had been entered into the foster care system after his parents had died in a shuttle accident and it was with Deb's help that he was eventually relocated into Murai's care.

"You said he died from splicing?" Deb asked once she'd managed to regain her composure and could talk to the two men.

"Yes, the evidence that we've found indicates that he attempted to splice himself with chemicals he bought over the internet."

"I don't understand this craze. Nothing good seems to come of it but I'm not really surprised."

"Why do you say that?"

"I work with children day in and day out, especially those who've lost their families and many of them are depressed which I'm sure you can understand. Many begin to think that if they were a different person, things would go better for them. This splicing just seems to intensify that thought. Like somehow being part animal will make them different, special, and make their problems go away."

"Have you seen many cases of that?"

"More than I can count. Especially when splicing first came into play and now it seems like every week I'm having to take another teenager in for the antidote."

"I see."

"Do you know what animal he tried to splice himself with?"

"Wolf. Does that mean something?"

"It just fits. Brandon was shy and withdrawn and he would want to be something powerful and strong. I'm not a psychologist but I've noticed that sort of pattern in the teens who do this."

"What about his uncle, Gabriel Murai?"

"Well," she started, flipping through the pages of Brandon's folder, "Mr. Murai was Brandon's mother, Alexa's, half brother. The two had the same father different mothers and different families."

"Papa was a rolling stone?" Weber asked.

"Exactly. They knew of each other but weren't very close. When I tracked him down, he was very open to the idea and seemed very good for Brandon. I conducted the in-home meetings and their home life was functional."

"Functional?"

"Mr. Murai was a single man with a very demanding job. Brandon had to spend a lot of time by himself but most teenagers love to be alone and he was old enough to look after himself for a few hours a day."

"How often are these in home meetings done?" Heero asked. The M.E. confirmed the time of death to be roughly six months previous and a check of police records indicated that no missing persons report had been filed by the school or by his social worker.

"Every three months until we feel that we've found a good home for the child. In the case of Brandon, he was relocated to a family member so after the first two visits, we discontinue the check-ups. I last saw Brandon almost a year ago."

"Can you tell me what school he went to and if he had any friends?"

"Well," she said turning a page in the file, "He went to Pinehearst High. As to having any friends, I couldn't tell you. That's not the sort of thing we keep up with."

"I understand. Is there anything else you could possibly tell us?"

"I'm sorry Commander there's nothing I can think to tell you. There was nothing out of the ordinary where Brandon or his uncle were concerned."

###

Heero didn't enjoy high school the few times he had attended and still didn't like it when visiting. The children, because they were too childish to be called anything else, had not had much to say in regards to Brandon Moore except that he was nerd and a loner. None of the students had taken time to get to know him and the teachers had even less to say. The principle had at least been able to tell him that Murai had decided to take Brandon out of school preferring to home school him himself. The move to home schooling had coincidently happened six months ago.

Back at headquarters with Weber, who was still smiling over the incident of a teacher trying to reprimand Heero for skipping class, they headed to the A/V lab where they met up with Wu Fei and Hayers.

"The lab techs haven't found a DNA match for the hair but we've been reviewing the surveillance tapes and have made a positive ID on Nellie," Wu Fei said as they entered the room. "Play it for him."

Heero turned towards the large view screen as Taylor played the footage from the restaurant. Murai was not hard to spot as he stood directly behind Agent Himura dressed in the same hat and coat from his last film debut. He raised his arm, intending to jab the needle into Himura's back but she turned grabbing his arm, twisting it roughly forcing him to drop the syringe where it shattered on the floor. She swept his legs out from under him as he reached for another syringe. Pulling her gun from the holster underneath her jacket, she drew down on the man, ordering him to stay down from what he could read from her lips.

"This is where it gets weird," Taylor said, just as a dark haired woman appeared on screen.

She stood to the side of Himura, smiling innocuously. Himura turned her attention from the downed Murai training her gun on the center of her chest only to have her move in an instant. One second she was four feet away from Himura and the next just inches from her face taking a hold of her arm just below her elbow and just as Himura had described, she tugged her arm barely moving but Himura cried out as her arm fell limply to her side.

"Shit," Weber said.

Himura backed away from the dark haired woman surprised and Heero was happy to note that although her arm was dislocated and useless, her hand kept a grip on her gun. The smiling woman turned away from Himura then, going to aid the fallen Murai and Himura followed. She grabbed the woman by the neck of her shirt and without turning Nellie kicked out behind her in a move that should have only made Himura stumble but had her airborne flying at least ten feet where she landed on top of a table snapping in two. Her husband was quickly at her side attending to the dazed woman as the dark haired woman picked Murai up off the ground, helping him to escape.

"Who was that?" Heero asked turning to Wu Fei when the tape ended.

"Natalie London. Her nickname is Nellie and she was one of the possibles on our list. She has a record of splicing, having been spliced at least six different times."

"Why isn't she in jail?"

"She's a minor in the foster care system. The police give her the antidote and turn her over to the state every time she's caught," Hayers said.

"And now she's teamed up with Murai. Do you think it's possible she met Brandon during his time in the system and influenced him to try splicing?" Weber asked to Heero.

"Yes but how did she end up helping Murai?"

"Maybe she and Brandon tried the splicing together, only she survived it," Weber hypothesized.

"I could understand Murai trying to kill her for influencing his nephew but to recruit her doesn't make much sense," Hayers answered.

"Could it have been a suicide attempt on both their parts?" Wu Fei asked.

"Himura said that she seemed crazed and you saw the way she was smiling. We don't know what six splicings could have done to this girl mentally, she could be working with Murai for all kinds of reasons," Weber said.

"We need to determine if she actually knew Brandon Moore and go from there. We need to talk to Deb Long again."

###

Talking with Deb a second time led Heero and Weber to Bonham residence where Helen and her husband, Carter, invited them inside eager to help the agents with their investigation and even more pleased to learn that Rhys has been found after his disappearance from their home almost two weeks previous.

"Well both Nellie and Brandon stayed with us. Nellie lived with us for about four months and Brandon for one before his uncle took him in," Helen said from her place beside her husband on their antique sofa.

Weber sat across from them in an armchair leading the questioning while Heero stood off to the side looking at the many pictures of the different children the Bonham's had taken in lining the walls. Brandon's picture was among them. In the picture, he was alive and healthy though his expression radiated loneliness, his sad green eyes staring away from the camera making it look as if he were looking at Nellie in the picture next to his. The girl's smile was cruel; her lips thinned showing the full extent of her teeth. She looked boldly forward as if she would climb through the picture to attack.

"Were Nellie and Brandon close?" Weber asked.

"Well…" Helen started looking to her husband.

"They were seeing each other," he said, "I walked in on them sleeping together."

"Do you know if they continued to see each other after Brandon moved in with his uncle?"

"I think so," Helen answered. "She was very upset when he left, blamed us for letting him go. A few weeks later she was relocated to a different foster home."

"Did you have any contact with her after she left?"

"No, she didn't like us very much and we wanted her gone."

"She was constantly threatening to burn the house down and twice I caught her hurting one of the younger children," Carter said.

"Was she ever threatening to Brandon?"

The couple looked to each other before Helen turned back answering, "No, in fact she was very nice to him. Gentle even."

"Gentle is not the kind of word I would ever associate with Nellie but when they were together she just softened."

"What do you know about her splicing?"

"She was in love with the idea of being part animal. She once said that all people were savages and should show on the outside what they were on the inside."

"Did she ever have a procedure done while in your care?"

"No, but it was a near thing. I caught her trying to sneak out in the middle of the night when I was checking on one of the other children. I knew she'd been stealing money from my purse but I didn't know she was going to use it for."

"She attacked my wife that night and I called social services to have her removed from our home."

"Did she tell you why she attacked you Mrs. Bonham?"

"I was keeping her from being happy, keeping her from her dream. We knew about the previous splicings, in fact, when she came to live with us we had to pick her up from the hospital after her last restoration. She had been a fox."

"Do you know what she had planned on becoming when you stopped her?"

"A tiger."

"Do you know what type?" Heero asked joining the conversation.

"No," Helen said blinking up at Heero, "she just said she wanted claws."

"Do you know who she was going to, to get the splicing done?" Weber asked.

"No but I do know she eventually went on one of those online sites and bought a kit," Carter answered.

"How do you know that?"

"She charged it on my credit card."

###

The foster family who'd taken Nellie in had reported her missing over a week ago, coinciding with Murai's flight underground. They were helpful in telling Heero and Weber that the girl had indeed gone through with splicing herself with tiger DNA although she had to be immediately hospitalized because of the spoiled dosage she'd received via the internet. She survived the incident but seemed angrier for it.

From the dates and the receipt from Carter Bonham's credit card, Heero was able to determine that Nellie bought the two kits for herself and Brandon and they had both gone through with the splicing with her as the only survivor. As Brandon's body hadn't been moved from Murai's shelter, she could have been with him when he died and abandoned him for Murai to find later while she sought medical help.

The CSI's confirmed a niggling thought that Heero had when Mrs. Bonham mentioned that Nellie wanted to be a tiger. The recombinant found at the scene of Himura's attack was fox DNA which would set a pattern for the attacks if they could find records proving that Nellie was spliced with an eel between her time as a fox and a tiger. If not and the next attack followed the pattern of her past splicing then someone else was responsible for Northman's attack and the murder of fourteen people.

Coming back to headquarters to find Trowa in his office did not help to raise his spirits.

"He refused to go to see the psychologist," the taller man said as he entered. "He told me to eat shit and die."

"Why?" he asked closing the door behind himself as he took a seat behind his desk. The last time he and Trowa had been in his office it had not ended well and he hoped that they were not going to have a repeat argument.

"Because he thinks I turned Quatre against him."

"I didn't know that you had talked to Quatre."

"I called him as soon as we confirmed Duo's whereabouts. I only told Quatre what Duo and Gervais told us. I knew he would come to see Duo for himself but I had no idea that he would react like that."

"I'm surprised by it myself."

"I don't think he's completely wrong," Trowa said in the quiet voice that Heero was beginning to hate. "I won't deny that Duo loves his son, but he made him as part of an experiment. Gervais said so himself and Duo didn't deny it."

Heero didn't answer immediately turning to his computer entering in the information that he and Weber collected to send in a secure email to the rest of the team as well as logging it for the Director to see that they were making progress.

"People have children for worse reasons," was all he could think to say. He didn't agree with Duo's reasoning behind letting Gervais clone him, in fact he didn't agree with Duo leaving without seeking the proper help from medical professionals, but Rhys was alive with a man who loved him. To argue the point now seemed…pointless.

"Do you really believe what Duo told you?"

"Do you think he lied to me?"

"Yes."

He looked back to Trowa whose face was unwavering in its intensity as he looked at Heero.

"Why?"

"How does splicing cure depression?"

"By giving him the opportunity to be someone else, to change his circumstances through a physical change," he answered thinking back to Brandon's assumed reason for splicing.

"How does it cure a drug addiction?"

"Some addictions are genetically based; if Gervais can make Rhys hear and see better I'm sure he could cure Duo of his addictions."

"How does a man addicted to drugs pass a drug test one month before he disappears?"

"It wasn't his urine."

"It was done by a blood test. How could he fake that?"

"I don't know," he said even as he thought of multiple ways to get around the blood testing. "What do you want me to say, Trowa?"

"Tell me you're not going to trust him so blindly. The facts don't add up in all of this and I believe Quatre when he says he's going to betray all of us."

"Why should I trust Quatre? He could be trying to mislead us."

"I found the records for the blood test. Do you not trust me either?"

"Don't. I'm not going to do this with you. I'm not going to pick sides and put one friend above the other. As much as I want to know the truth about Duo, I want to find Murai and Nellie more."

"Force him to go and see the psychologist," Trowa all but ordered.

"You weren't this suspicious of Duo until Quatre arrived."

"Yes I was and am. You've been so wrapped up in Duo you haven't asked me my opinion."

"I thought you were happy to have him back."

"None of this adds up Heero. Gervais and Duo are lying to us. Helping with this case is to trick us into trusting them."

"Is that what you think or what Quatre said?" Heero asked, pushing.

"Damn it, Heero," Trowa yelled rising from his chair, "this has nothing to do with Quatre and everything to do with what I feel. Why can't you trust me? Why are you so sure that he isn't lying to you?"

"He kissed me."

"What?" Trowa asked blinking at him.

"He kissed me and if you and Quatre are right then it was all a lie," he said admitting to both Trowa and himself that he didn't want the two men to be right. Heero wanted the chance to see where things would go between himself and Duo but even he realized that a relationship couldn't be built on lies and deceit.

"When did he kiss you?"

"Last night. Right before he told me about the drugs."

"Heero," Trowa sighed shoulders slumping and Heero wanted the conversation and Trowa away from him before he had a chance to ruin the memory of Duo's kiss for him.

"I need a copy of that blood test, Agent Barton," he said using Trowa's title, signifying that it was an order and not a request.

"Yes…Commander."

###

Heero had hoped to avoid Trowa for the rest of the evening and take the time to talk to Duo alone and get some answers about the blood test he'd taken in lieu of a pending job application but Murai and Nellie had put a stop to his plans by attacking yet another agent. Murai and Nellie seemed determined to make an agent into a fox and had succeeded with Etienne Lindman, the first male victim among the agents. He, like Himura, fought back against his attackers but was overwhelmed by Nellie's strength.

Etienne managed to keep the damage done to bystanders to a minimum inflicting more wounds to his own person than to those around him. His chest, now covered in stained white fur, was littered with deep claw marks as he had wrapped his arms tight around himself. The man was in more danger of bleeding to death from his injuries than from the splicing.

Gervais and Duo were already in the lab working on an antidote for Etienne with Dr Anderson hovering close by doing as much of the work as possible. Sally and Price worked along side them with Price manning the computer to help work out the sequencing of the DNA as Sally played gopher. Heero was not surprised to see Price helping with the sequencing as each member of his team, including himself, had taken lessons in splicing to better understand the process behind it and the information given to them when they first took the Splicer case.

Wu Fei and Hayers were absent as they were out investigating Nellie's friends to try and find out where she may be hiding and to uncover why she may have teamed up with Murai or more worrying if he had teamed up with her. From the foster families to the picture of her on her school ID the girl resonated an intense and domineering personality and with her high ideals about human nature and splicing, she seemed a force to be reckoned with. Coupling her intensity and inhuman strength with Murai's money and knowledge, they were a formidable team but they were closing in on the duo and it would only be a matter of time before they were captured.

Standing beside Trowa watching the group work he felt sure that it would be soon rather than later, but his thoughts were derailed by Quatre and Trowa's suspicions as he watched Duo lean over to speak to Gervais, covering his mouth as he did. It only added to the doubt Quatre and Trowa had instilled in him.

"You know, Trowa," Gervais said conversationally, "I've been wondering about the effect you seem to have Rhys, Duo and the twins."

"Supposedly they like my smell," Trowa answered smoothly.

"Yes, Duo described it as flowery."

"If you're going to make a joke about my sexual orientation, spare me."

"No I simply wanted to know if you've been taking prescription medicine."

Heero looked up at Trowa paying attention not to his face but the tendons straining in his neck, the Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed roughly. From his records, Trowa was not on any type of prescription medicine and as a friend Trowa had never mentioned to him the need for medicine.

"Valerian is used in both antidepressants as well as anti-anxiety medicine and it plays with cat's pheromone receptors. I simply want to know which medicine you're taking. Maybe you could tell us, Heero?"

All eyes in the room turned to Heero and he couldn't help but look from Trowa to Gervais confused.

"Oh I see, you know nothing about it. Maybe Trowa would like to take some time to work on his own problems before he tries to pass judgment on us. Trowa," Gervais said addressing the man personally, "Do you have anything to say?"

Heero looked back to Trowa looking at his flushed skin beaded with sweat as did everyone else in the room. His lips were thinned, eyes darting back and forth, as he trembled with what Heero could only assume was rage. The tall man turned quickly leaving the room at a brisk pace with all eyes on his retreating form.

"That was petty," Price said and Heero agreed.

"It was," he said looking at Gervais and Duo. "He didn't cause Quatre to attack you if that was what this was all about. He told Quatre exactly what you told us. If you want to be mad at someone be mad at Quatre."

"I'm allowed to be mad at whomever I want, my dear boy. You're so sure that we're the villains, that we're lying to you, but what about your own partner?"

"If Trowa is on prescription medicine he at least had the sense to seek help through the proper channels and not some experimental splicing technique," he said angered by the entire situation. He looked directly at Duo who was attempting to look everywhere but at him. "Tomorrow, you're going in for your psych examination or I'll give you a reason to eat shit and die, Duo."

He left the room before anyone had a chance to respond, moving quickly to track Trowa though he didn't have to go very far. The man had made it outside the clinic and halfway across the concourse before he'd stopped. He stood next the brightly lit fountain looking down though his eyes were closed against his own reflection. He held out his hand as Heero approached from behind handing over a small orange and white bottle of pills.

"Anti-anxiety? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I started taking them when I regained my memories after being left in space. I didn't tell you or anyone because I thought you would think I was weak and I couldn't afford to be weak during the war."

"And afterwards?" Heero asked, remembering that devastating time and how he had believed Trowa dead.

"I was afraid of how people would see me. I'm always afraid of embarrassing myself, of people laughing at me, not being able to escape." Trowa said shaking his head in frustration and Heero could only imagine the havoc the situation in the lab was playing on his emotions.

"Is this why you quit the circus?"

"Yes."

"You could have told me."

"No, I couldn't. It's part of my anxiety. Every time I even thought about telling you…I couldn't do it, Heero. I'm sorry."

"How bad is it?"

"Agoraphobia. Being in situations I can't escape from or being the center of attention in something embarrassing makes me panic. I can still work, Heero," he said finally turning to look at Heero. He could see the fear in his partner's eyes as he assumed that he would be fired.

It reminded Heero of Price and her determination to be a part of the team even while injured. While he was upset that he hadn't known about Trowa's condition, he understood why he hadn't been told. It was much different from the situation that Duo claimed to have been in and only reinforced his distrust as Duo and Gervais had tried to turn him against his partner by callously bringing up something painful and private for Trowa in front of a room full of people.

He looked to the taller man seeing his best friend, the man who trusted almost explicitly and had no hard feelings against him. If nothing else he felt closer to the man and wanted to go back and rip Gervais a new one for what he'd put him through.

"I'm not going to fire you Trowa," he said and smiled, "Just tell me how you feel about marriage proposals."

###

"You're not on the list."

"I'm sure you can add me Michael," Heero said Quatre's assistant where she glowered at him from behind the partially opened hotel door.

"He's busy."

"Doing what?"

She looked down at her tablet reading the screen before looking up at him, "Watching television."

"Michael, let him in."

Heero moved widely around the woman as she opened the door fully allowing him entrance, her watchful eyes tracking him as he moved. Quatre stood before the large plasma screen watching the nightly news, which was reporting on the attack of Lindman.

He turned smiling at Heero as he approached.

"Heero, why the unexpected visit?"

"Why did you come to see Duo?"

"To see him for myself. I couldn't believe that Duo, the Duo I knew, would make a clone of himself for something so selfish."

"And now?" Heero asked wanting to find the underlying cause of Quatre's visit and subsequent speech that had turned the dynamics of his friendships upside down.

"I know that it's true and I'm talking several steps to rectify the situation."

"Are you talking about killing Rhys?"

"How could you ask me that?" Quatre asked looking affronted.

"After the performance you gave today and all the things I've learned in the last few hours, I'll believe anything of anybody."

"Mr. Winner would never harm a child," Michael said as she wrote on her tablet.

"You should be asking Duo what he plans to do with his son. He had a child for his own benefit, how long before he decides he'll be more useful as spare parts?"

"Duo isn't going to harvest Rhys' organs."

"You said you were willing to believe anything," Michael said, earning herself a glare.

"Why are you so adamant about this?" Heero asked, turning his attention back to the blond.

"Because I once believed that my father had himself cloned for that very purpose. I thought he had me created for his own benefit. I eventually learned differently but there is no alternate story for Rhys," Quatre said moving to stand at the large windows overlooking the colony, crossing his arms. "What will Duo tell him when he asks where his mother is? What will he tell Rhys when he asks why he was created? How many children has Gervais created and killed in his experiments?"

"I…I don't know Quatre," Heero said unwilling to answer any of the other man's questions. He had no idea what Duo planned to tell his son and he had never thought to question if Gervais had succeeded on the first try when cloning Duo.

"I want to meet him. Rhys. Trowa tells me he's a joy to be around."

"I doubt Duo will let within three feet of his son."

"When I'm done it won't be his decision to make," Quatre said lowly.

"You're going to have Rhys taken away from him," Heero said Quatre's intentions dawning on him.

"It's for his own good. I've already got a team of geneticists together who'll start work on restoring him once I have custody."

"You can't do that," Heero said appalled.

"I can and I will, Heero."

"There's nothing to restore," he argued. "He was born like that."

"Why? What purpose would it serve for child to be born that way? Neither Duo nor Gervais considered the ramifications of their actions. He will forever be marked as different, singled out from the rest of the children his age, in danger of abuse and kidnapping because of what they've done to him. I can provide him the safety and security that he needs as well as a chance for a normal life."

"He isn't your son."

"Neither is he Duo's. I don't want to make on enemy of you Heero but I'm determined to do what's best for Rhys. Duo has jeopardized his life in the name of science. Even now he isn't even the one caring for him, he's given some woman temporary guardianship over him. The very same woman who lost him once before."

"I don't want to hear anymore about this. No one in this situation is completely right or wrong but I don't want to be any part of this. The least that you could do is let Duo make up for his mistakes and have the opportunity to be a father to his son."

"And if he fails, Heero? Then what?"

"Then he fails. It isn't up to you to decide who should be a father to Rhys."

"I would be better for him than most."

"Go home, Quatre and leave this alone. At least until I get to the bottom of things here," he amended.

"I'm sorry, Heero, I've already set the wheels in motion and I don't intend to put this off any longer than necessary."

"Quatre,-"

"I think you should leave now. Michael, please show Heero out."


	21. Twenty

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

"I can understand his motivation," Duo said the following morning.

"He wants to take your son away from you. How can you be understanding about that?" Heero asked.

They stood outside the less used entrance to the clinic as Heero had decided after a night of tossing and turning that he could not sit quietly knowing that Quatre was trying to rob Duo of his son. He'd arrived at headquarters early in hopes of having a quiet conversation with Duo but Murai and Nellie had not decided to sleep in the next day, opting to go after another agent. Agent Demetri Lawless now sported brown and black spotted fur, clawed hands, pointed ears atop his head and a large mouth stretched across his face resembling a smile full of sharp teeth. A hyena. The sound emanating from his throat mimicked laughter but could be deciphered as pained screaming. His partner, Alicia Pennington, had taken the brunt of both his assault as well as Nellie's and the doctors of Plainsboro were caring for her in the intensive care unit. She suffered from a dozen broken bones, a punctured lung and spleen, and a fractured skull.

It was with some effort that he managed to get Duo away from Gervais and pass the number of agents loitering around the halls like vultures descending on a fresh kill. Having told Duo of Quatre's plans, he expected there to be some kind of blow out. That Duo would go raging across the colony, tether be damned, to confront the man. Instead, Duo stood docilely shrugging his shoulders.

"If you thought I was bad for Rhys would you let him go into the system or take care of him yourself?"

Heero didn't even take a moment to consider his answer, "I'd take him in."

"Right," Duo said smiling widely at him. "So I get Quatre's messed up idea of trying to save my kid from me. But I'm not unfit and I'm not going to let him take Rhys without a fight, so don't worry about it."

"Someone needs to because if Quatre takes this to trial you stand a good chance of losing Rhys."

"I haven't done anything wrong."

"You told me you were on drugs, Duo. Unless that was a lie. Trowa found a blood test you took a month before you disappeared. You passed."

"Yeah well if I didn't that nurse owes me three hundred dollars," Duo mumbled.

"What?"

"I paid off the nurse at the drug test facility. He got a little cash and I got a new job."

"Duo…" Heero said disappointed that his friend had stooped so low.

"Look, it's not something I'm proud of. Paying off the nurse, or the addiction, or leaving without a goodbye, but I'm a better person now and my kid loves me. That's all that matters."

"That won't be enough to satisfy a judge, Duo. Quatre won't fail to bring the drug use up."

"Let me guess you told Trowa and he told Quatre," he said annoyed.

"I told Quatre trying to defend you," Heero answered heatedly. "He doesn't believe that you're really you, that everything you've told me so far is a lie."

"Why would you even listen to him?"

"Why should I listen to you? You haven't been my friend for the last four years. That was Quatre, Trowa and Wu Fei and others who were my friends while you were gone."

"I said I was sorry," Duo said throwing his hands up exasperated. He walked the few feet to the stairs leading up to the clinic door sitting down on the steps, planting his face in his hands. "Why am I not allowed to fuck up? Quatre blows up a fucking colony and no one bats an eyelash. I go through a fucking nervous breakdown and I'm the antichrist."

He turned to look back at Heero, continuing to vent, "Trowa didn't tell you he was on medication and I bet you haven't lost any trust in him. Everything I've done I've done because I thought it was the right thing to do. I haven't killed anybody. Haven't raped anybody but you guys threat me like I'm a serial killer."

"I don't think you're a serial killer," Heero said coming closer to lean against the hand rails beside Duo, "but things don't add up and I would be stupid to trust you or Gervais blindly."

"What have we done to make you think that we would hurt anyone?"

"Did you forget what happened last night? You humiliated Trowa. And for what? Because Quatre was mean to you?"

"So I'm not allowed to hold a grudge either? I didn't know that Gervais was going to call him out like that. I told him about Trowa's smell days ago. I didn't know it meant anything but I am allowed to be pissed off about what happened."

Duo looked away from him and they were quiet for a few minutes as Heero processed what Duo said before asking, "Why did you kiss me?"

"Jesus, are you doubting that too?" Duo asked looking up at Heero. "I like you. I want the chance to be with you. I thought you felt the same."

"I do," Heero admitted, "but I can't do this if I don't know the truth about what's going on here. You and Gervais are keeping things from me. You might not be lying but you aren't being completely truthful either."

"I get that," Duo said looking away. "But I can't just come out and spill my guts and tell you everything that happened and why. I promise that when I'm ready to tell you everything, I will. Can you be okay with that?"

When Heero didn't answer right away, wondering if he could continue to wait for Duo to give him the answers he wanted, the other man took his hand pressing a soft kiss to the back of his hand. Duo looked up at him with violet eyes glowing in the artificial sunlight, chestnut ears at half-mast, his face sincere.

"Please?"

"I'll try," was the only honest answer he could give.

Duo sighed, his warm breath washing over Heero's hand making him shiver in response as he answered, "I can live with that."

He stood leaning into Heero, effectively trapping him against the handrail. Heero was once again taken in by Duo's scent, body warming in response as Duo pressed his lips to his cheek. He pulled away slowly looking down at Heero a soft smile on his face.

"I'll apologize to Trowa and try not to punch Quatre in the face the next time I see him."

Heero could only nod, his body tingling with yearning with Duo still so close. He tried to stifle the dozen inappropriate thoughts racing through his head. He reminded himself that he was at work, on the clock, and stripping a potential suspect on the stairs before the clinic was behavior unbecoming for a commander.

"Let's go back inside before someone comes looking for us," Duo said smile widening. He tugged on Heero's hand, pulling him towards the door.

He let go of Duo's hand as they crossed the threshold following him back inside. He felt marginally better about the situation at hand. Duo had made points that Heero could not deny, that he was putting his trust in everyone but Duo given their history of bad decisions. He was also right to say that he and Gervais had not proven to be anything other than helpful.

With all the confusion that Heero felt inside, he wondered if he shouldn't take Director Yates direction and let someone else take over this aspect of his case. Being around Duo, in the middle of the conflict between friends was taking its toll and he was left not knowing who to trust, who to believe in. Everything anyone said now needed to be backed up with facts as he was already making plans to find the nurse Duo had bribed to corroborate his story.

He had to stop suddenly to keep from crashing into Duo's back as the man stilled in front him, body tensing. He watched the man's ears swivel atop his head catching on to a sound only he could hear. Whatever it was sent him moving with purpose towards Agents Beckman and Adams, the two men who had talked scathingly about Heero and Duo in the restroom to days ago.

He pushed past several agents in the crowded hall to catch up to Duo as he raised his arm slamming his fist into the wall, plating shattering the drywall and denting the steel underneath.

The reaction was immediate as several agents pulled their weapons aiming at Duo as he stood over Beckman, glaring fiercely at the dark-haired man.

"You want to repeat that?" he asked the man hand still firmly planted in the wall as he ignored the agents around him.

"Holster your weapons," Heero ordered, walking in front of Duo screwing the agent's shots.

"Commander he just punched through a metal wall," one of them argued.

"I won't tell you again, agent," he said and the group complied. "What is going on here?" he asked looking to Duo.

"Tell the Commander what you said," Duo ordered Beckman.

"I didn't say anything," Beckman said.

"Bullshit. I heard you loud and clear."

"So did I," came Agent Flaherty's voice and Heero was surprised to see her pull away from the crowd, walking over to the group.

"What did he say?" Heero asked.

"I didn't say shit," Beckman said loudly.

"I'll tell you," Flaherty said glaring at Beckman. "He told his partner that he wouldn't sell Kitten at an Auction. He'd keep the boy, host parties on the weekends, and let the perverts take turns with him for a price. He said he'd make more money off of him that way."

Heero looked at the man in disgust as did several other agents standing nearby.

"I never said that," he argued.

"He also said he'd take Mr. Maxwell home and show him how to be a proper pet."

"I didn't say that."

"You're right," Flaherty said glaring at Beckman, "Your exact words were more vulgar and disgusting."

"You weren't even anywhere near us, there's no way you could have heard…" and Beckman trailed off as Flaherty turned her head, lifting her red hair revealing what looked like a normal Bluetooth headset but what Heero knew to be a very sophisticated listening device. Not the kind of thing a Special Agent over the Detention Facility would need to have.

"You're not going to believe the freak and this bitch are you, Commander?" Beckman said turning to Heero.

"I've been front row center for one of your rants before Beckman, or did you forget?" Heero asked wondering how stupid the man was to turn to the man he'd previously insulted while calling Flaherty a bitch and Duo a freak.

"I suggest you go and turn yourself over to the Director if you want to have any chance of keeping your job," Agent Flaherty said.

"I didn't say anything," Beckman insisted, "Tell them Adams."

Adams who had been silent the entire time looked very pale having the hall of agents turn to look at him. Pale and sweaty, his red hair damp and clinging to his forehead he shook his head refusing to answer.

"Adams, I suggest you decide what side you want to be on in this. He was talking to you. What did he say?" Flaherty demanded, the reason for her nickname as Head Mistress being made known as she stepped up to the man commanding his attention.

Adams looked to Beckman, stuttering, "He did. He said it."

"You son of a bitch!" Beckman yelled lunging at Adams where he tackled him to the ground, punching the man twice in the face before Heero and Flaherty grabbed him. Tossing him to the floor, Flaherty straddled him, drawing his arms behind his back, cuffing him as he cursed and fought.

"Put him in a cell," Flaherty said standing and two agents quickly picked the man off the floor hauling him away.

The assembled Preventors stood talking and Heero could hear some unpleasant talk from those nearby as some of the group felt the punishment too harsh. Flaherty took one look at the assembled group obviously not liking what she saw or heard.

"If you are not family to one of the patients or their partner then I don't want to see your face. If I see any Preventor agent not associated with this case I will have you written up and suspended without pay," she yelled and Heero was not surprised at how quickly the loitering agents turned to leave the clinic, opinions be damned.

"You," she said pointing a finger at Adams who had been helped of the floor by Duo, "I want a detailed report of everything that happened here on the Director's desk in one hour. Write up everything Beckman has ever said about any agents or civilians or you'll be sharing a cell with him. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir! I mean sir! I mean ma'am," he said hastily turning to leave.

"You," she snapped turning the finger to Duo, "I don't want to hear of another incident of you punching through steel or I will have you deemed a lethal weapon and thrown into a cell." At Duo's growing smile she added, "I am not joking Mr. Maxwell."

"Yes, ma'am," he said sobering quickly.

"Commander I'm sure that I don't have to tell you to file a report as well?"

"One hour," he said happy to not have a finger pointed at him.

She walked away heading around the corner, and through the lounge where the other Preventors and exited and Duo, with Heero following him, moved to watch her leave.

"Is it just me or are you totally turned on right now?" Duo asked leaning against the wall, "Nothing is hotter than a woman making you her bitch."

Flaherty stopped just inside exit, turning to look at Duo sternly over the rim of her glasses and Duo waggled his fingers at her smiling lecherously. Heero was more amused than jealous of the harmless flirting. She pointed, telling Duo to get back to work just as the door open and because her gaze was turned away she collided head on with Trowa who, to catch the woman, grabbed her around the waist though his hands landed in an inappropriate spot.

The two stood stock still as Trowa's hands were firmly planted on Flaherty's ass, his face coloring a bright red as Duo whistled approvingly. They broke apart and Trowa almost fell over one the lounge's chairs trying to move away from Flaherty and the embarrassing situation. Heero quickly crossed the room to stand at his friend's side touching his elbow to reassure him.

"I'm sorry," Trowa said to Flaherty, his face not losing its bright red color though he looked steadier.

"It's okay," she answered adjusting her glasses, needlessly fluffing her hair and Heero was taken back by how quickly she had gone from domineering to coquettish in front of Trowa and he wondered if she too wasn't spliced with a cat. "I'm not mad. It was an accident."

"Trowa," Duo cheered approaching the group, "Way to cop a feel!"

"Duo," Heero chided.

"What?" he asked. Turning to Flaherty he said, "Can I touch?"

"That's inappropriate, Mr. Maxwell," Flaherty said sobering, "I'll see you later, gentlemen. Commander, don't forget that report."

"I won't," he said watching her walk away. She left the clinic without another word and Duo continued to track her hanging out the door as she walked away from the building.

He sighed, "There she goes. Bouncing off sprinkling flowers."

He stayed in the doorway a moment longer before laughing aloud.

"What?" Heero asked.

"She said it's napalm not flowers. Definitely my kind of woman."

From the look on Trowa's face, he was not amused by Duo and his antics or his presence and Duo quickly caught wind of it, his demeanor changing as he turned to Trowa.

"Hey," he said, "I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have sent Gervais after you. I'm sorry that you were embarrassed."

Trowa just nodded noncommittally and Duo sighed as he shrugged shaking his head, "I tried."

"Greyson sent over the results for Hargrove," Trowa said ignoring Duo.

"Good. Duo, don't forget you have the evaluation with Dr. Walker in an hour."

"Yeah, yeah," he said waving his hand, "I remember the threat. See you later."

Duo walked off, turning the corner to head back to the lab and Trowa moved to the exit. Heero looked between the two, feeling as if he had to decide between them. He followed Trowa out the door and on to the concourse as he headed towards the man building.

"What was in Greyson's report?" he asked knowing to avoid the subject of Duo and whether he would be able to forgive the man.

"He confirmed our guess with why Hargrove is stable because of the number of recombinants but he doesn't see a way to undo the damage done to him."

"Gervais says there's nothing he can do for him or the others without his tank."

"We'll have to figure something else out. I can put together a list of geneticists known for their work with splicing and see if any of them would be able to help us. The Director will only wait so long before he insists that Gervais is locked away."

"You're right. I'll leave it to you to get the list together. Have you seen the others?"

"Hayers is attached to Wu Fei somewhere in HQ along with Sally. I haven't seen Price or Weber today. Do you want me to find them?"

"Please. I need to write an incident report. We can meet in the conference room in an hour."

"I'll see to it. Anything else?" Trowa asked looking down at Heero.

"Yes," he said looking up slyly at Trowa, "Was Flaherty's ass as soft as I imagine?"

"Asshole."

###

"Come in," Heero called at the knocking on his office door looking up from the screen as Taylor came to him papers in hand. He handed the top sheets to Heero and he looked them over quickly confused.

"You're resigning? I'm not your direct supervisor, Taylor; you shouldn't give this to me."

"I know, but I have this as well," Taylor said passing the second set of papers to Heero.

He looked leafed through the sheets, gaze narrowing as he read.

"How long have you known about this?"

"Since yesterday. After I searched through the results of the syringe purchases, I made the connection."

"Why are you resigning?"

"I don't think I should stay. People will think I was a part of it."

"I'll make sure that you stay safe in this Taylor. If you want to take a leave of absence until things settle, I can arrange for it."

"I don't want to quit. I like working here."

"Good. I've always considered you a part of my team and this will not change things."

He stood, clicking send on the computer before walking around to Taylor putting his hand in the man's shoulder. The young tech looked both miserable and happy at the praise, and Heero could only begin to imagine the betrayal he felt and how hard it was for him to come to him with the damning information he had.

"Go home, Taylor. You don't need to be here for this."

"Commander, I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for Taylor. Go home."

###

He stood in the doorway of the conference room watching Hayers as he laughed and talked entertaining the room at large with an offhand anecdote. Trowa stood beside Heero his face a harsh mask as he had caught up to him before coming to the meeting, showing him the file that Taylor delivered. To say that either of them was angry was an understatement and it showed clearly in Trowa as he grabbed Hayers by the back of the neck slamming him into the table.

Sally yelped startled, while Weber, Price and Wu Fei looked on confused.

"Benjamin Hayers, you're under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon, attempted murder and third degree murder. You have the right to remain silent-"

"I know my rights," Hayers said quietly as Trowa forced him off the table with his hands cuffed behind his back.

"Heero, what's going on here?" Wu Fei asked.

"We were right to assume that someone other than Murai attacked Agent Northman. It was Hayers."

"Boss, you can't be serious. Hayers wouldn't do something like that. Right, Hayers?" Weber asked looking to the man. Hayers didn't answer, staring solemnly at the carpet and Weber slumped into his chair shocked. "Shit."

"You did that to Northman?" Price asked, hands balling into a fist against the table as she glared at her partner outraged. She rose, pushing her chair away walking in a fast limp around the table and Trowa must have known what she planned to do as he turned Hayers toward her flying fist. She punched him once, then twice, snapping his head back breaking his nose, bloodying his face. "You son of a bitch. She killed her own son because of you!"

She reared back to punch him again but Weber was there, grabbing her around the waist lifting her from the ground, turning his upper body to keep her away from Hayers. She went limp in his arms, though her face was a mask of anger.

"Let's go," Wu Fei said and grabbing one of Hayers' arms while Trowa took the other leading him out of the room and down to the Detention facility. They led him into an interrogation room, cuffing Hayers to the chair more roughly that necessary. Hayers sat quietly refusing to look at the three men around him and Heero felt absolutely no pity for him.

"I want answers," Wu Fei said and Heero pulled the folded sheets from his inner coat pocket, handing them to Wu Fei who briefly looked them over. "Who put this information together?"

"Taylor Hayers," Heero answered and Hayers flinched but didn't look up.

"It's too late to clam up," Trowa said from where he stood his arms crossed as he glared down at Hayers, feeling just as betrayed as Heero and Wu Fei. "We know how you did it. Tell us why you did it."

Hayers shook his head.

"You weren't very smart," Wu Fei said tossing the papers to the table before Hayers. "You bought the syringes on your credit card after the first attack. You should have known that your name would show up when we searched through the receipts from the local medical supply stores."

"You also know better than most that we have cameras in the evidence rooms. We have you on film sequencing the recombinant from Murai's mixes," Heero added. "And again at an intersection a block from the school an hour before Major Chang got the call to mobilize."

"Then you insisted that you come along," Trowa said. "Why?"

"I wanted to impress Major Chang," Hayers said quietly.

"Why?"

"I wanted to be a part of the HRT."

"You put innocent children's lives in danger for a new job?" Trowa asked, hands dropping as he looked at Hayers in disbelief.

"I've applied a dozen times and was rejected just as many. I thought if I proved myself to the Major, showed him what I could do, I would get the job."

"That's why you chose an eel. Then you could suggest the boots and show you were a quick thinker," Heero deduced aloud, wondering why he hadn't questioned Hayers motive for wanting to tag along on the mission.

"You idiot," Wu Fei said to Hayers, "I only seriously considered you for a position after your commander recommended you. Did you ever think that a letter of recommendation would have just as easily have gotten you a job?"

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Save it. Tell Northman you're sorry for what you did to her and her family and all the parents whose children died that day."

"It wasn't supposed to get so out of control."

"Yes it was or else there wouldn't have been a call. It happened exactly the way you planned except you didn't intend for your own brother to turn you in," Trowa argued.

"Did you think he would overlook the evidence? Let you go free knowing you'd killed innocent people?" Heero asked.

"Yes."

"Then you are an idiot," Heero said. Looking at Hayers, realizing that the man really believed that his brother would sit back knowing that he had caused the deaths of dozens of innocent people. While Heero didn't know Taylor very well he had once believed that he knew Hayers.

He had taken notice of the man during a shuttle hijacking. Riding as a civilian going to Earth on vacation to visit family, Hayers took on the hijackers single-handedly, with no weapon, saving all the passengers onboard. His bravery had impressed Heero and he had immediately offered him a position. Now with his deviance brought to light he couldn't help but wonder if the attack was staged too.

Feeling utterly betrayed, he turned leaving Trowa and Wu Fei to deal with Hayers. He couldn't look at the man's face anymore without thinking of all the children he'd killed for a promotion and if he stayed, he knew he would act on the rage building inside of him.

The day had continued to go down hill for Heero and as he sat behind his desk long after the other Preventors had gone home for the night. Director Yates had wanted to meet with not long after Hayers arrest wanting to know every detail. The man was not pleased to find that an agent of his could do something so devastating for something so petty, pulling the rest of the team into question. Each member of his team including the hospitalized Gemmell had to give statements. The ordeal was hardest on Price who had worked almost exclusively with Hayers as his partner. Heero couldn't imagine what she felt having spent long stake-outs enclosed in a car with the man, working till all hours of the morning, putting her life and trust in him.

Sally and Wu Fei were supportive though Wu Fei felt affronted that he had not realized sooner, playing into Hayers plan offering him the job and then working beside him growing to know him. Gemmell and Weber were generally in shock over the situation not knowing what to say having never expected something like that from their teammate.

The bad day continued with another attack from Murai and Nellie later in the afternoon. The pair attacked two interns who were dressed in Preventor polos and slacks, working in a local mall as part of a job fair. Cliff Rashad and Theo Ingier were now a pair of leopards, one black and one spotted. The two young men rampaged through the food court clawing and biting anyone within their reach. Six people were dead and several others were severely injured. Blood had been splashed across the area coating the tables, floors and counters and people gawked as Heero and team wrestled with the two. To make matters worse Lieutenant Denvers was the first on the scene and made a point of berating him and the others, blaming them for the many deaths. For a moment, as Heero pinned the spotted intern to the ground, he wondered if he could call it an accident if he released the leopard man and let him maul Denvers.

Later when trying to find a peaceful moment for himself he'd received a call from Nana Janet telling him of a blond man at her front door who insisted he be let in.

Quatre had decided to make an unwanted house call to Janet's home to meet Rhys and Heero was forced to pull rank on his friend, ordering him away from the woman's house. He reminded Quatre that he had no legal right to Rhys and if he continued to harass them, he would have a restraining order set against him. Michael had not been happy to hear that, glaring at Heero for all she was worth and Heero reminded her that he didn't need her laptop to hack into it in a moment of pettiness.

He managed to spend some time with Rhys after Quatre had gone, having dinner with him and his Nana and was tempted to stay for the sleepover Rhys had insisted on, wanting to rest after a long and trying day. Instead, he had come back to the office, updating files and researching on the computer. It was almost midnight, he was emotionally and physically exhausted, and the knock on the door was completely unwelcome until it opened revealing Duo.

"Hey," the tall man said peeking his head in the door. "Can I come in?"

"Sure."

"I heard about what happened today. With Hayers," he said closing the door behind him before he crossed the room to lean his hip against Heero's desk. "Sally told us about it."

"I didn't think anyone on my team capable of something like that," he said, leaning back in chair, deciding that he could take a small break to talk to Duo.

Duo moved further around the desk, coming to stand before Heero, "I think everyone involved was surprised about it."

"Hm."

"I heard that you threatened Q with a restraining order," Duo said smiling triumphantly. He pushed Heero and his chair away from his desk surprising him as the taller man flopped into his lap wrapping his arms around his neck. "I bet he loved that."

Heero could only blink up at the man as Duo leaned over him his smile decidedly wicked.

Having Duo's warm body draped over him, pressing him into the chair, his intoxicating scent overwhelming him, he forgot what they were talking about, focusing on the man before him.

"Why do you smell so good?" he asked breathily.

"I do? Really?"

"Yes. Every time you're close I can't think about anything else besides touching you."

"That doesn't sound like a bad thing," Duo said, pressing himself closer. He shifted in Heero's lap, moving to straddle him, rubbing persuasively against him.

"Duo," Heero breathed his head falling back, pants becoming tight as he clutched onto to Duo's hips, body shifting against Duo.

Duo leaned down capturing his lips in a hot kiss that topped the kiss from two days before as Duo nipped, licked, and sucked at his lips and tongue leaving him breathless. He ran his hands underneath Duo's tight tee, his fingers skimming over his smooth back pulling Duo closer. He moaned as he thrust his hips up against Duo and the taller man echoed him.

He pulled back gasping for air as Duo continued to move over him, his mouth trailing down his face and neck. Duo's hands were as busy as his mouth pulling Heero's shirt from his pants, running over his stomach before dipping down to his belt.

"Ah…stop Duo," he whispered grabbing at Duo's long-fingered hands.

"Why?"

"I can't. I can't do this. I want it to last," he said panting softly.

"I can make it last," Duo said lowly, rubbing against Heero and he almost forgot why he wanted them to stop.

"No, not this," he said planting his hands on Duo's hips, holding him firmly in place away from where he wanted him most. He looked up at Duo, staring into his beautiful eyes. "I mean us. I want to know that you're going to stay around. That we can take our time."

"Is it bad that I want to fuck you even more now?" Duo asked cradling Heero's face in his hands.

"Promise me," Heero said ignoring the question. "Promise when this is all over you'll still be here and we can take our time."

He watched Duo's face as his smile softened and his ears lowered and he looked at Heero seriously, "I promise."

Heero left the office soon after that, first straightening his clothes and willing his erection away with Duo laughing at him all the while. They rode the elevator together down to the parking garage where Heero's company car waited. Duo had insisted on coming home with him wanting to see his apartment having never seen the space seen Heero had moved.

Stepping off the elevator, Duo followed him his sandals slapping rhythmically against the pavement. It was when the noise stopped that Heero turned to look back at Duo who looked indecisive, his ears flat against his head.

"What's wrong?" he asked walking back to Duo.

"I got caught up," he said offhandedly.

"What?" Heero asked confused.

He smiled, "I got caught up with you. G is expecting me back and I almost forgot."

"You're not coming home with me?" Heero asked disappointed and jealous that of Gervais all over again.

"Not to tonight," Duo said sadly, "but I'll walk you to your car."

They continued to walk with Duo beside him playfully holding his hand, swinging their joined hands back and forth. The moment reminded him of Rhys and how alike the two cat-boys were. When they reached his car, he was saddened to find that they had made the trek across the parking lot so quickly and he tried to stall taking his time with his keys, manually unlocking the door.

Duo leaned in against his back, one arm wrapping around his shoulders as he breathed in his ear, "Heero, you'll take care of Kitten won't you?"

"Of course, Duo," he answered wonder first why Duo had used the nickname he seemed to dislike and second why he would ask him when he already knew the answer. "Why would you- ah!"

Heero jerked at the prick of a needle sliding into his side. In the car's reflection, he could see Duo, syringe in hand injecting clear fluid into his side. He tried to struggle away but Duo held him tightly as his legs went numb beneath him.

He found himself panting, gasping for air and was afraid that the injection was paralyzing not just his body but his organs as well. He clung to Duo as he tossed the empty syringe away sound of the shattering glass sounding distant to Heero's ears.

Wrapping arm around Heero's waist, Duo slowly, gently, lowered him face up to the ground and Heero distantly wondered why he even bothered. He looked up at the man who he was claimed as friend, seeing the blank expression and his ears pressed flat against his head. He could distantly feel Duo arranging his body, then something being pressed into his hand. He managed to tilt his head enough to see the black tether and his fingers wrapped it.

"Duo, why?" he spoke, before his vision went dark and he was unable to speak.

"Because he told me to."


	22. TwentyOne

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

He knew he'd been moved when he woke in a bed. There were doctors and nurses surrounding him almost immediately, poking and prodding, asking him questions. After reassuring them that he knew his name age and the current ESUN president over a dozen times he was finally left relatively alone.

Trowa had stood off to the side, his arms crossed over his chest watching the proceedings and as the last nurse left the room, he approached the bed. He dropped his hands to the guardrail, his face blank.

"How long have I been out?' Heero asked.

"Two days. You were found in the parking deck at four in the morning with Duo's ankle tether in your hand."

"Where is he?" he asked angrily. He clenched his hands into a fist so tight that his whole hand trembled with the force. He knew that Duo was gone even before Trowa confirmed it. He felt stupid for trusting him, for believing in him and he shut his emotions down, locking them out much like he had done during the war. His emotions clouded his judgment and left him open for Duo's attack. He would not repeat the same mistake again.

"Gone, along with Gervais and Hughes. Rhys is with the Bonhams."

Heero threw the covers off, not surprised that Gervais was missing but Hughes being actively involved was new. Swinging his legs off the side of the bed, he looked up to Trowa asking, "What are we doing to find them?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Heero repeated looking at Trowa confused.

"We're off the case, Heero. Both of them."

"What do you mean?"

"The entire team has been suspended. We're not allowed inside the building until Yates approves it."

Looking at Trowa, really looking at him he realized that he wasn't wearing his uniform, instead dressed in a navy button-down and khakis.

"He can't be serious. We haven't done anything wrong."

"It isn't just Gervais who's missing but all his splicing patients as well. Yates thinks we were in on it. That one of us helped him kidnap Gemmell and the others. You're the only one with an obvious alibi."

He wasn't completely surprised by the news. Gervais was determined to prove that he was a good guy, a hero. No doubt, he was holed up in a lab somewhere constructing a tank to restore the missing patients. Transporting seven unconscious people with only Duo for help however was impossible and Yates was right to assume that they had help. And Heero wasn't ready to dismiss one of the members of his team as one of Gervais' helpers.

"Where are Price and Weber?"

"In the waiting room. We've been waiting for you to wake up."

"What was I drugged with?"

"We don't know. Something Gervais invented. The doctors weren't sure you would wake up at all. Your heart was barely beating and you had no brain activity until an hour ago."

He paused, realizing how close he had come to dying or spending the rest of his natural life in a coma. He couldn't see the point of Gervais and Duo nearly killing him. He couldn't imagine what they would gain from putting him into a two-day coma.

"What else is there Trowa?" he asked knowing that there had to be more.

"Chase has been assigned to the Murai case. He caught Nellie yesterday."

Sick to his stomach, he closed his eyes taking deep breaths through his nose. He had to be dreaming, having a sick drug-induced nightmare. He worked on the Murai case for months before even identifying the man and now Chase was taking his case, making an arrest in less than two days.

"What are we supposed to do? Sit around until the Director decides that we're innocent?"

"We're lucky that he didn't fire us on the spot, Heero. Yates read us the riot act for leaving the two alone and he'll want to see you as soon as you're well enough."

"I'll go and see him now," he said moving to stand. He wanted to get back to work immediately. He had to find not only Murai and Nellie, but Gervais and Duo as well and he had no intention of sitting around waiting for Chase or another agent to solve his case.

"Heero," Trowa said, putting his hands out to stop Heero from getting out of bed, "I think you should see Kitten before you meet with Yates."

"Why? Is he hurt?" he asked thinking the worst.

"Hughes abandoned him. We found him alone in her house with all of his clothes and toys packed. He was holding Gervais' tether crying."

The small boy's face came to mind as he thought back to finding Kitten locked inside a cage, the red and puffy face tracked by tears. Reassuring him then had been easy. He couldn't see himself lying to the boy, telling him that his father and Nana would be back soon.

"I'm sure that Joyanne or Mrs. Bonham are more suitable for caring for him. I don't think I'm the best one for him right now. "

"I don't think you have much of a choice. Duo named you Kitten's Godfather and legal guardian."

"What?"

"Hughes, Rains, and Dewitt signed off as character witnesses and Judge Burbank is upholding the decision."

Heero flashbacked to the meeting between Duo and three women and how they had all looked at him guiltily. The papers scattered on the small children's table that Hughes had been in the midst of signing had to have been the forms of testimony. Heero could not feel at all flattered that the group thought him good for the young boy. It meant that the women were on some level aware of Duo's plan to disappear.

"You should go and see him first."

"I want to talk to Weber and Price. Then," he said, "Then I'll go and see Kitten."

The two agents stood as he approached, though it was more labored for Price with her cracked femur. The remaining members of his team, as well as Sally and Wu Fei, stood with him in the Plainsboro waiting room and he had to question why he wasn't being taken care of at the Preventors' clinic.

"Maxwell and Gervais bombed the place," Weber said.

"Flash bombs," Price elaborated, "The clinic is full of dust and debris and is unusable."

"Should you be up and walking, Heero?" Wu Fei asked.

"I'm fine, I don't feel tired at all," he said. He was surprised that he wasn't tired and aching after being down for so long. He felt refreshed and eager to move, to get to work. He also noticed that his chest had healed significantly as he had slept, the scratches nothing but pale, fading lines.

"You're lab work came back clean," Price said and Heero looked to her confused. "I asked the doctor's to run tests to see if it wasn't just a heavy sedative you were given. They found no traces of animal DNA in your system."

"Thank you, Price."

He was glad to hear that he would not be growing a tail or scales anytime soon, having no desire to be spliced. A part of him had been afraid that if he did wake up after the attack that he would find himself with cat ears and tail to match Duo and his son.

"Boss, we didn't help them. I didn't know anything about it until I got the call from Barton."

Heero didn't say anything because he couldn't be sure that he could trust Weber. The man had a close relationship with Gemmell and to see the woman confined to a hospital bed, her arms and legs turned into long undulating tentacles was reason enough to help Gervais escape.

Both Price and Sally could easily feel sympathetic to Northman and her predicament. If Gervais was persuasive enough to cause Duo to abandon his friends, betray them, and leave his son behind, he could influence Price. Sally could have been taken in by the older man's charm and as a fellow doctor would do anything to save lives.

He couldn't imagine either Trowa or Wu Fei aligned with Gervais but even they couldn't be fully trusted. Heero's mind supplied him with reasons and angles where the fight between Duo, Gervais and Trowa could have been staged to keep them from suspecting the man and Wu Fei had been oddly quiet about his opinion on the situation.

The faith he'd had in his team and been sorely tested and broken and while he wanted to believe the best of them but he couldn't help but to suspect them. He needed to be away from the group to have a chance to regroup.

"Heero," Trowa called, touching his shoulder when he didn't answer right away.

"Sorry," he answered absently, looking at the expectant faces around him. "I don't plan on giving up on this case. I will get to the bottom of this."

"Gervais or Murai?" Sally asked.

"Both."

"We know that Gervais isn't running, not with six splicing victims as cargo," Wu Fei said, "he'll need a lab to take care of them."

"As well as money. We need to look into the mysterious benefactor," Trowa said.

"How? We're banned from HQ," Weber informed.

"We don't need a lab full of technicians to track down a bank account. Just one. I'll take care of it," Heero said not wanting to entrust the task to anyone else but himself.

"What about Murai? Chase captured Nellie; it's only a matter of time before she tells him where Murai is."

"She hasn't yet, which means he's still out there, still a threat. We shouldn't give up looking for him because we were thrown off the case."

"Yates will have our jobs, Commander," Price said, "We were given explicit instructions to stay away from both cases not just headquarters."

"I won't require that you or anyone else jeopardize your job," he told her.

"I'm not saying that I won't help, I just want to be sure that you understand what's at stake if we proceed. You didn't receive the dressing down that we did."

"I understand. I have a meeting with Yates once I see to Kitten."

"Are you really going to take him home?" Sally asked.

"Yes," he said simply.

Sally smiled a strange tension easing from her shoulders, "Good, he'll be glad to hear it."

###

"Commander," Helen said pulling the door to her home open, inviting Heero in, "It's so good to see you. I'm glad that you're alright."

"Thank you," he said stepping over the threshold and into her house for the third time.

"How is he?"

After leaving the hospital, against doctor's orders, Heero went to the Social Services home office to sign off on the papers to take Kitten into custody and into his home. He no longer thought of the boy as Rhys, preferring to call him by the name he had given himself rather than the one Duo had named him. While he didn't know much about how to care for a small child on a permanent basis, he was determined not to fail the boy. He would keep the boy safe, happy and healthy to the best of his abilities. He had no intention of abandoning him or giving him up.

"Not good," she admitted leading him down the hall, "he hasn't stopped crying. Nothing we've done cheers him help. Hopefully seeing you will help."

They turned the corner into the living room with its pictures of foster children on the light blue walls. Heero disregarded the pictures looking to the sofa where Kitten sat his ears low, shoulders slumped, tears running down his face. A teenager that Heero recognized from one of the photos kneeled before Kitten, the small boy's hands in his as he talked to him softly.

"This is Julian," Helen introduced, "He's been helping to take care of Kitten. Kitten? Look it's Mr. Heero."

The small boy turned his tired puffy face to Heero, sniffling. "Hi," he said pathetically and if Heero didn't hate Duo before he did now. He'd given the boy up once and now had disappeared on him.

"Could you excuse us?" he asked quietly and Helen readily agreed leading Julian out the door giving Heero and Kitten space. He knelt before the boy, taking his hands much the same way Julian had and Kitten only cried harder.

"Nobody said bye," he cried, "Everybody left me."

"I'm sorry," he said taking the boy's face in his hands running his thumbs over his cheeks to wipe away the tears, "I'm sorry."

"Nana packed all my toys. She said she had to go," he hiccupped, "She said you would come and you didn't."

"I'm sorry," he said pulling the boy close, wondering how Janet, who claimed to love Kitten so much, could leave the boy the way she had. He could only imagine the raiding party storming the house looking for Gervais and finding a crying three-year clutching a tether in his hand.

"I was in the hospital," he explained, "I came as soon as I woke up."

"Are you hurt?" Kitten asked looking up at Heero from where he held him firmly around his chest sniffling.

"No. I'm fine. I came to take you home with me."

Kitten buried his face against his chest again asking, "Are they coming back?"

"I don't know," he said and honestly he didn't know if he cared.

###

"I don't think we should beat around the bush here," Yates opened, "You're fired."

"What?" Heero all but yelled looking at Director Yates shocked.

When he'd gotten the call to come in immediately, he assumed that he would receive the same speech that his team members had. Losing his job had never crossed his thoughts, though he should have suspected something when Commander Chase met him at the door escorting him to the Director's office. The man stood quietly at the door as if to mediate the situation and Heero looked back at the blond man wondering if he had known what was coming and had failed to warn him.

"Be glad that that's all I'm doing. The only reason why you're not in a cell is because I can't prove that you helped Maxwell and Gervais escape as you were unconscious at the time."

"I don't understand. You think I was a part of their plan?" He asked incredulously.

"Maxwell attacked me. He stabbed me in the back and injected me with an unknown drug."

"A drug that Gervais conveniently made to use on you. A drug given to you by Duo Maxwell."

"I didn't know anything about their plan. I did not, and would not, have helped them."

"Not even to restore one of your teammates?" Yates asked towering over Heero where he stood before his desk.

"No," he said angry.

"Popular belief is that you and Maxwell were having a sexual relationship. Special Agent Long says he saw Maxwell in your office-"

"Agent Long is prejudiced against Splicers and would say anything to undermine me."

"He isn't the only one who saw him."

"I was not having a sexual relationship with Maxwell. We did not have sex in my office," he said slowly, forcefully as is speaking to a child. He was more than pissed that Long would try to slander his name and that Yates would believe it.

"But you were together in your office? With the door closed. No doubt working out the details of your plan," Yates said picking up several sheets of paper from his desk looking them over and Heero was not impressed. He used the same techniques when interrogating suspects.

"I was not a part of any plan."

"It seems almost too convenient that Maxwell left his son with you as his legal guardian. The papers being entered and cleared only days before his escape."

"I didn't ask to be made his guardian. It was planned behind my back."

"Which means your story corroborates with Rains and DeWitt's story. I'm beginning to wonder how many crooked people are affiliated with this case and with you."

"I have done nothing to show myself as anything other than a loyal and dedicated agent. You said yourself that I've never failed a case."

"That was before one of your former comrades came under suspicion."

"So I'm guilty by association?"

"You tell me what I should think Yuy. The last person to see Maxwell before he nearly blew my clinic up was you. You think I don't see through his plan? He knocks you out so you can have an alibi while he runs off to experiment on my agents?" Yates asked loudly.

"I wouldn't help him kidnap people. I can only assume that because you refused to give him and Gervais access to a lab with ample Preventor supervision that he took matters into his own hands," he said deciding that if Yates wanted to lay blame, wanted to accuse him of things he had no part of that he could do the same. He no longer had a job and worrying about disrespecting his boss was now a thing of the past.

"Are you blaming me for this, Yuy?" Yates asked, his eyes narrowing as he took a step towards Heero.

"Are you assuming that I had a hand in this?" he asked, unflinching.

"You're pushing it, Yuy."

"I'm past pushing, Yates. I've been loyal to this organization since its inception. I've risked my life day in and day and you're attacking me and my integrity because of a few rumors and a half-assed theory."

"Your entire team is suspect, Yuy. Every one of them has the potential to be involved with this plot but you more than anyone is vested with Maxwell. I won't let you compromise this organization or any more of my agents.

"I have four agents, two interns, and a civilian missing. A number of dead and injured civilians half of which were caused by one of your team members. On top of that, I have a psychotic seventeen-year-old girl in lockup who refuses to speak to anyone but you. You care to explain how she knows you? How are you involved with her?"

"I've never met her before."

"You've never met her but she seems to know you pretty damn intimately. You're all she talks about. Your eyes, your hair, the coffee you drink."

"What are you implying?" Heero asked his eyes narrowing.

"I want to know why she wants to talk to you. I want to know why after four months of searching you weren't able to catch up to Murai or this girl but Chase manages to catch her in two days. How are you involved with them?"

"I've thrown myself into this case and you think I'm helping them? You think I've been letting those sick fucks kill innocent people for the hell of it?"

"No, Yuy, I don't know. But what I do know is that you are going to follow Commander Chase downstairs. You're going to put on your uniform for the last time and you are going to interrogate Natalie London. And when you're done and I know where to find Murai, I don't want to see you within fifty feet of this building."

"And if I refuse?" Heero said not seeing himself follow the man's orders.

"Then I charge you with obstruction of justice. And don't think that I've forgotten about Rhys Maxwell. I want the boy brought in for testing."

"No. I'm his legal guardian and I won't allow you to run tests on him. He's not a lab rat."

"I would suggest that you keep in mind who is in charge here, Yuy."

"You fired me remember? I no longer answer to you."

"Need I remind you that you're under investigation? It's in your best interest to cooperate fully. You don't want me to take the boy away from you entirely Yuy, because if I press hard enough I can get the ruling overturned."

Heero said nothing, glaring at the man hatefully. If he refused to cooperate, Yates would take Kitten away from him and he didn't relish the thought of giving the boy up. Already heartbroken he couldn't do anything that would hurt the boy more and with Yates threatening to take him away he was reminded of Quatre's threats to take the boy. Taking on Yates and Winner over custody for Kitten was simply not an option.

"Good. I see that I'm finally getting through to you. Chase," Yates said turning to the other man, "Take Mr. Yuy downstairs."

Heero turned, storming out of the office leaving Chase to try to keep up with him as he surged through the hall towards the elevator. The older man barely managed to catch the sliding doors, alerting the sensor to reopen the doors. He stepped in letting the door close behind him looking at Heero with a careful expression.

"Heero, I know you. I know you didn't have anything to do with Gervais or Murai. Once this thing clears up Yates will give you your job back," he said carefully as if talking to a frightened animal.

Heero did his best to control his anger wanting nothing more than to lash out at Chase but the man had done nothing to deserve his rage.

"Why would I want it? Why would I want to work for Yates after what he said to me? After he accused me of helping murderers."

"He doesn't mean it. The media has been having a field day with this whole thing and the president-"

"Do you think I care, Chase?" he asked seriously. He would not help murderers. Even though he had doubts about his own team, he wouldn't be so bold or so rash as to accuse them to their faces the way Yates had done to him.

"You should. This isn't the end and even if Yates says you're off the case, I still need you. This is your case, you know the ins and outs and I need that information."

"You caught Nellie without me."

"Catching the girl was a lucky break, I'll admit that. If Sandford hadn't got to his taser when he did we would have lost her."

"I don't know why she wants to talk me, Chase."

"It doesn't matter. Just get her to talk," he said as the elevator doors opened.

Heero followed the man, holding his head high as they passed other agents some of whom stared openly at him while others averted their gaze. He would not be made to feel like he was a criminal. He had done nothing wrong. He kept reminding himself of that fact as he dressed in the locker room Chase had led him to, but standing in front of the mirror running his hand down his tie he felt saddened.

He had always been proud to put on his uniform. He felt powerful and righteous, knowing that he was doing good work. That every time he put it on he was going to right wrongs, to pull murderers of the streets, to stop terrorists. Now wearing the uniform, knowing that it was his last time to wear it legally because he was now thought of as a criminal was painful.

"Are you ready Heero?" Chase called.

He looked at himself one last time before making his way over to Chase to be escorted to the lock-up where Nellie waited. Outside the interrogation room, they were met by Yates, who barely looked to Heero as he held his hand out. In his palm was an earpiece and Heero looked at it unmoving.

"You are going to wear this and ask her the questions I tell you to," Yates said and Heero took the earpiece dismissively pressing it into his ear. He took the folder that Yates handed him as well.

He pushed past the man opening the door to the interrogation room. Nellie sat cuffed to the metal chair at her wrists and ankles, while leather straps kept her torso firmly attached to the back of the chair. Her black hair hung around her face and shoulders and moved as she raised her head smiling cruelly, lips thinned. Her yellow eyes focused on Heero as he walked through door and she watched intensely, ignoring Chase completely.

He pulled out the chair across from the girl, setting the file on the table before sitting, straightening his tie as he did. He was simply not in the mood. He didn't want to help Chase take his case. He didn't want to be forced to interrogate Nellie because he was ordered to. He didn't want to be a part of any of it.

"Well he's here" Chase said, "Talk."

"I don't want you here," she said looking up at the man. "Go away. I only want to talk to Heero."

"Do you think you can do this?" Chase asked looking down at him and Heero only nodded not looking away from the girl before him.

Chase left the room shutting the door behind him and Nellie's smile only widened. Heero sat back watching the girl, noting her attire. She was dressed in a school uniform consisting of a light blue button-down with a dark blue blazer with matching skirt and tie. He didn't see that girl attending classes on a regular basis to be caught by Chase.

"Why did you want to talk to me?"

"Take that thing out of your ear," she said, nodding her head towards his right ear.

Given the excuse, he plucked the tiny machine from his ear, Yates voice sounding small and distorted as he protested. He tossed the earpiece away not caring if it became lost or damaged.

"Why did you want to talk to me?" he asked again.

"I wanted to see you for myself. I wanted to meet the man that made Gabby so mad."

"I see," Heero answered, looking down to the folder he'd brought in with him. He opened it, finding the crime scene photos of several splicing victims were stacked inside and took them one by one laying them out before Nellie. Her gaze swept across the photos quickly and she didn't bat at an eyelash, leaning as far forward as her restraints would allow.

"You're sad. Did your girlfriend leave you?" she asked.

"No," he said not looking at her, continuing to lay the photos out.

"Your boyfriend?"

"No."

"Why? Why are you sad? Tell me."

He looked her boldly in the eyes, "The man I thought I loved betrayed me, attacked me, and now everything I've worked for is falling apart."

He heard knocking against the two-way mirror and knew that Yates was not happy with where the conversation was going. He didn't care if Yates knew that he had had feelings for Duo. In fact, he was sure the man believed that they had been sleeping together. His admission wouldn't change the man's opinion of him.

"You've still got your big wig job," she said, "Still the boss man."

"I was fired half an hour ago. They're forcing me to talk to you."

She pulled against the chair attempting to get closer to him, "Why?"

"Because you know where Murai is."

"No, why did they fire you?'

The knock came again but they both ignored it.

"Because someone I know broke the law and now I'm taking the blame," he said simply not wanting to elaborate.

"The man you love?"

"I don't love him and yes," he said focusing his gaze on the photos again, tilting them this way and that.

"I know about that," she said softly, "Being betrayed. If you let me go, I'll kill him for you."

"No, thank you." If anyone was going to take out his anger on Duo it would be Heero himself and no one else. He didn't need a seventeen-year-old girl to do his dirty work.

"You're just like Brandon. Always so sad. He didn't want me to kill anyone either."

"Brandon Moore. What happened to him?" asked, encouraging her now that they were on track.

"He died."

"Were you there?"

"Yes. I watched him. We did it together. The splicing. I did him and he did me. I got so sick to my stomach, like my insides were melting but Brandon… He had blood coming out of his eyes, his nose, his mouth. It was everywhere," she said her head cocked to the side a wistful smile on her face, reminiscing. "He started coughing up blood, it got all over me. Gabby showed up and we watched him die together. We just watched the light go out of his eyes. Watching him die, it was so beautiful. He died with a smile on his face."

"Gabby? You mean Murai?"

"He doesn't like being called Gabby."

"Why are you with him? Why are you helping him?"

"I hate those pretenders. Those people who want to be spliced so they can be cool, so they can fit in with the crowd. They don't know what it means. They don't know what it meant for me and Brandon."

"What did it mean?"

"A chance to let our inner soul free. To be the person that we were meant to be."

"What was Brandon meant to be?"

"A protector. Strong, powerful, aggressive."

"And you?"

"A killer," she said with a vicious smile. "I want to hurt people."

"Other Splicers?"

"No, the people that would hurt me. I want to kill them before they can hurt me."

"Is that why you came after the Preventors?"

"That was Gabby's idea. He says you ruined everything."

"You were killing innocent people."

"Brandon was innocent. Why did he die? Why should those bastards get to live when he's dead?" she yelled. "He was mine!"

She went limp suddenly, head hanging, the harsh sound of her panting filling the room. Heero sat quietly looking at her bowed head in shock. She wasn't stable, that was obvious, but seeing her so distraught over the boy was painful to see. Knowing that she had real feelings, even misguided ones, that she grieved for Brandon Moore was unexpected.

"He's inside me, you know," she said softly without lifting her head, "When he coughed on me, his blood got in my mouth and I swallowed it down. He lives inside of me now."

She lifted her head looking at Heero with her strange inhuman eyes and he resisted the urge to look away.

"You remind me of my Brandon. Your eyes." She strained forward again, her fingers just barely clutching at the edge of the table, "you can be my Hero."

"I don't want to be anything to anybody. I don't want to love anyone."

"Because they'll hurt you. I know," she said quietly. "I'd forgive you if you hurt me. Just like I always forgave Brandon. Even when he gave me his little speeches about not hurting people."

"Why did you want to hurt people before? Before Brandon died."

"I'll tell you, I'll even forgive you if you give me that look." She settled back in the chair, slouching, her hands falling limping to the sides of the chair. "My father, or the man my mother said was my father, didn't have a job. He didn't have the money to buy the drugs he loved so much. And when he ran out, he'd dress me up real nice and put make-up on my face and then he'd invite his supplier and a couple of friends over to have a good time with me. I was seven years old when he first started. Social Services didn't come for me until I was thirteen. I still have the scars between my legs."

He looked away, closing his eyes, panting through his nose. His hands were balled into fists, his nails digging into his palms as he tried not to picture what the girl had gone through to turn her into the sociopath that she was. He couldn't blame her for wanting to be something with claws, something that could fight back. He couldn't blame her for wanting to reclaim her body in whatever way she wanted.

"He's still out there."

He opened his eyes looking back at her, "Tell me his name."

He didn't need to be backed up by the Preventors to find the son of a bitch who'd hurt the girl. He dedicated himself to helping people, saving those who couldn't save themselves and he didn't need to wear a blue, green and khaki uniform to do it.

She smiled, softly at him, "You're just like my Brandon. He wanted to find him too. He wanted to kill him. It's why I bought the kits. He wanted to strong enough to kill him."

"Tell me his name," he growled and Nellie shivered in her seat her face eager and open with excitement.

"Will you kill him for me Heero," she said breathlessly. "Tell me you'll kill him for me."

She squirmed in her chair in such a way that he knew that she was squeezing her legs together, getting off on the idea of him killing her father. Her face was flushed and her hands clenched around the arms of the chair, chest heaving. Her pupils were dilated, the yellow of her eyes disappearing into a thin line. He knew in that moment that she would tell him anything he wanted to know.

"Yes," he said and the knock against the window was deafening.

"My Heero. My Hee-chan. I want you. I want you inside me. I want you inside me like my Brandon. Please," she begged shuddering in her chair.

"Tell me where Murai is and I'll kill him for you."

"Yuy what the hell are you doing?" Chase yelled over the intercom and Heero jumped from his chair dragging it to the door wedging it under the handle. He knew that it would only be a matter of moments before Yates and Chase came tearing into the room to separate him and the girl and he was determined to get the answers he wanted no matter what.

"Yes, yes," Nellie panted as he approached her. He pushed the table way from her, planting his hands on her arms squeezing. She bucked in the chair thrusting upward trying to touch her body to his.

"Tell me where I can find him," he said again his face just inches from hers. He could hear Yates and Chase at the door, banging against it, trying to force it open and he needed her to answer before that happened. Needed her to give him the closure he needed in seeing Murai finally behind bars. He would worry about the consequences of his actions later.

"Oh please, oh please, do it, do it. Want you. My Hee-chan."

"Tell me where I can find Murai and I'll do whatever you want, Nellie. Tell me before they come in," he said looking pointedly at the door.

"Say you'll be my Hee-chan. Say you'll be all mine."

He pressed his forehead against hers, looking into her strangely colored eyes and said,

"I'm yours."


	23. TwentyTwo

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

"I'm yours."

The words were barely out of his mouth before the Yates, Chase and two uniformed agents came bursting through the door. Chase grabbed his upper arm, wrenching him away from the girl. She screamed in protest pulling hard enough against the steel restraints that the cuff holding her right arm snapped. The ugly sound of metal tearing sent the two agents running to pin her free arm down.

"Get him out of here!" Yates yelled over the din of Nellie's screaming.

Chase dragged him from the room and Heero fought him knowing that the girl was on the verge of answering. Another ten seconds and he would have the answer and he was torn between letting Chase walk him out or breaking his mentor hands to be able to close his case.

In the end he let Chase lead him from the room. The door closed behind them and Chase didn't waste time laying into him.

"That's not the way we do things around here, Yuy."

"There is no we, Chase. She was about to tell me where Murai is before you pulled me out of there."

"You don't encourage psychopaths Heero. You don't tell them that you'll kill their parents. Jesus, Yuy, we won't be able to use anything she said in court."

"you wouldn't have been able to use it either way. I'm not an agent anymore and she's minor without legal counsel. Yates screwed your case from the start," he argued pulling off the blue and green Preventors jacket throwing it to the ground walking away from Chase.

"We're not done here, Yuy," the older man said following him.

"I am. You heard Yates. He wants me gone."

The tie followed the jacket to the ground and he didn't look back to see if Chase picked the items up as he was determined to get out of the uniform and back to his apartment and Kitten. Making it to the end of the hall he pushed the call button for the elevator unbuttoning his shirt as he waited.

"Have you been listening to a word I've said?" Chase asked stopping beside him, "You can get your job back. I'll even help you but pulling stunts like this won't help you."

"Chase," Heero said as the elevator door opened, "I'm leaving. I suggest you concentrate on finding Murai."

He stepped into the elevator letting the door close on Chase's stunned face. He had nothing against Chase. He held the highest regard for the man but what he'd done back there was thrilling. Working outside the rules and regulations of the Preventors, doing things his own way. It was one of the few things he missed about being a terrorist. He didn't have to play by anyone's rules but his own and for that brief moment with Nellie he'd done just that.

The elevator ride was short and in less than five minutes he was back in the jeans and sweater he'd worn into the building. Packing the few personal belongings he owned from his locker into a duffel bag he took the elevator again to his office, finding that his key still worked in the lock.

The first order of business was copying all his files from his computer tucking the USB chip into his shoe. He didn't keep many pictures in his office. A single shot of Relena, a group shot of the pilots all together and one of him at his graduation from the Preventors Academy. He left that picture on his desk, taking the two others and other belongings.

He dropped his badge, key cards, and his Preventor issued handgun at the front desk, before exiting the building. He walked across the concourse heading for his car but was stopped by the sound of a woman calling his name.

"Commander Yuy."

"Dr. Walker," he greeted.

Doctor Rose Walker was the lead psychologist and profiler for the Preventors and the doctor that Duo was supposed to see for his psych evaluation. She stood just at 5-8', with long black hair held back with a simple clip. She had light hazel eyes and soft spattering of freckles across her nose and upper cheeks accenting her pale skin.

"I'm glad to see that you're alright, commander. I heard that you were attacked by Maxwell."

"Thank you for your concern."

She shook her head waving the comment away, "I completed the evaluation the day of your attack. I hate to tell you Commander but the results were inconclusive."

"Why?" he asked knowing that the woman shouldn't be talking to him, sharing information, but if he could find out why Duo would attack him and abandon his son he would happily break the rules.

"I can't say concretely that Maxwell was brainwashed or coerced. He refused to answer a great deal of my questions and in some instances it was as if he forgot the answer. It isn't uncommon for a person who has gone through a war and the harsh childhood he endured to suffer memory loss, but he seems to have forgotten the good parts of his childhood."

"How strange is that?"

"Not very, I've seen it in several cases where the patient is so depressed they suppress the happy times in their life, feeding into the idea that nothing good happens to them. I would need more sessions with him to know for sure."

"Unfortunately, you won't get the chance."

"Yes, he escaped along with Gervais kidnapping several agents in the process."

"Do you have any idea why he trusts Gervais so much? Why he went with him in the first place?"

"He thinks the man holds the key to his happiness."

"He told you that?"

"No. I could see it in the way he talked about him."

"Hm," he murmured nodding to Walker, "Doctor there's something I want to ask you."

"Of course, what is it?"

"What I say stays between me and you?"

"Well you're not actually my patient but if it isn't dealing with something illegal or detrimental to a case, whatever you say will remain between us."

"It's about Duo. The night he attacked me. He came to my office and he was very…forward."

"He tried to seduce you?"

He explained, as briefly as possible, the scene from his office and the parking garage, detailing all of Duo's strange behavior.

"Commander, that is very disturbing to hear. I've been going through the files your team provided me," She rifled through her satchel pulling out a file. "I've been focusing on Gervais' files mostly to understand his connection to Duo. From what I read he was a part of the Medical Corps during the war, with his team working almost exclusively with accelerated healing through the use of sensory deprivation tanks."

"We found Duo floating inside one and Gervais insists that it's the only way to undo the splicing."

"Theoretically, yes. I'm no scientist but from what I've read the purpose of the tank is to give the mind and body a chance to focus on healing without distractions such as stress and hunger. The problem that arose was while the body focused on healing, the patient's mind would deteriorate. A number of the patients in the trials made remarkable recoveries but went insane in the process."

"He said he kept Duo's mind occupied, that even after four months inside that machine he was still sane. Could he have done something to Duo to make him follow him so loyally?"

"In that state it would be easy to plant ideas, leave suggestions behind. This is all speculation. I wouldn't be able to confirm anything without more sessions with Duo."

"But you think it's possible that Gervais is forcing him."

"I believe that Duo went to him willingly, but from what you've told me about your attack I can't say that he stayed willingly. He may even be aware of what he's doing but unable to fight it. "

"Would there be a way to undo it?"

"Possibly but it would depend on how deep the suggestions go, the triggers, and a number of other variables. In reality you would need Gervais to undo whatever damage he may have done."

"Thank you, Doctor. If you think of anything else please call me."

"Commander…Heero, please this is all theory, untried and untested. I don't want you going to look for him thinking that none of this is his fault. He may very well have agreed to everything and is just now having second thoughts."

"I understand."

After leaving the Preventors headquarters, he headed to the grocery store to stock up on food for both him and Kitten. He surprised himself by the number of cartoon snack foods he'd thrown into his cart unthinkingly and had to make a second trip through the aisles to supplement the junk food with healthy snacks as well. In the small book section he found several coloring books and a box of crayons hoping that they would serve to cheer the boy up. He dropped the food, his gift to Kitten and his duffel off at his apartment before leaving to pick up Kitten.

Mrs. Greenwich was exactly like the single old women shown on television who spent their time following the lives of their young neighbors complaining that they never ate enough. She was Heero's neighbor although she lived down the hall from him. She made it a habit of cooking him meals, asking when his friend was going to stop by again, and checking on him when he was forced on bed rest from injuries. When Yates called demanding a meeting with him he'd been forced to leave Kitten behind and didn't think twice about leaving the boy in her care.

She answered the door at his first knock with Kitten on her hip, his arms around her neck.

"Told you," he said quietly.

"Well, look at that you were right," she said smiling. "How did you do that?"

"I'm a psycho."

"I think you mean psychic," Heero answered chuckling, feeling the weight of the past few hours lifting off of him in the little boy's presence. He reached for him and the boy came easily to his arms, wrapping his arms around his neck resting his head against his shoulder.

"He's already eaten dinner. I have a plate saved just for you. Hold right there and I'll go and get it," she said waving with her hands for him to stay put as she moved away from the door to her kitchen.

"She's nice," Kitten said. "Can I eat your dinner?"

"No, but you can have dessert."

"Ice cream, cake and pudding?"

"How about milk and a cookie?"

"Two cookies?"

"Two," he said thinking that the whole parenting thing would be a piece of cake if all he had to do was negotiate with the boy.

"Here you go," Mrs. Greenwich sang, returning with a foil covered plate. "It's roasted chicken, creamy rice, spinach and rolls. Make sure you eat every bite."

"I ate all my bites," Kitten said.

"Yes you did. You're such a good boy. You feel free to drop him off with me anytime you want. I love the company."

They said their goodbyes with Mrs. Greenwich wishing them a good night and Heero had to wonder about the effect the boy had on older women.

Back at his apartment he put the plate away not in the mood to eat. He hadn't had time to show Kitten around his home and took a few minutes to show him around the small two bedroom apartment.

"This is my bedroom," he said opening the door to his room stepping into the familiar space. He was no interior designer but he thought the beige walls with dark brown trim complimented the brown and beige comforter set he owned. The red throw pillows matched the red in the wall scrolls hanging on either side of the bed as a bright accent to the room. The armoire and two bookcases positioned around the room were made of dark wood that matched his head and base board of his bed. The bookcases were tastefully filled with books, pictures and small statuaries, though none of it mattered to the boy he carried. Kitten barely lifted his head to give the room a quick once over before pressing his face against Heero's neck again.

He crossed the room towards the bathroom door, pushing it open, turning on the light as he entered. He pointed out the two sinks set in the counter in front of a large mirror, the shower and bath and toilet. Opening the door opposite the one leading into the bath he stepped out into his second bedroom which he used as an office.

"This is going to be your room once I buy you a bed."

In his mind he was already replacing his desk for a twin sized bed, pulling the framed news articles from the walls to be packed away in storage in lieu of child friendly posters.

He would repaint the dark green walls a light shade of blue, maybe with puffy white clouds along the top. He wondered why he thought of making the walls look like earth's sky and if Kitten would like the idea.

When Kitten didn't answer or even look up to take in the room, he rubbed his cheek against the top if the boy's head asking, "What's wrong?"

"Ms. Greenwich said I'm a good boy," he replied miserably.

"You are," Heero agreed.

"But my Daddy and Nana and Mr. G left me. They said I couldn't come with them. Did I do something bad?"

"No," he said squeezing Kitten close, "you didn't do anything wrong."

"But I was kit-napped and I ranned away."

He couldn't help but smile against the boy's hair.

"Kitten, they didn't leave because of you. You are a very good boy. And they didn't leave you all alone. They left you with me. You like me don't you?"

"Yes, but I could help."

"Help do what?"

"Daddy said he had lots of work to do and I can help. I'm a big boy and we could get the work done real fast," he said in a rush.

"You can help me."

"Catch bad guys?" Kitten asked looking up at Heero excited.

"You can help me put away the groceries first, then we'll work on the bad guys. Okay?"

"Okay. Then can I have my cookies?"

"Then you can have your cookies," he answered carrying the boy from the room.

"You have a big TV," Kitten said pointing at the 72 inch flat screen sitting in the corner of his living room, "It's bigger than me! Can I watch cartoons on it?"

"Sure," he said making a mental note to block inappropriate channels and programs.

Walking through the living room and back into the kitchen, completing the relatively small tour, he set Kitten on his feet atop the kitchen table amidst the canvas shopping bags. He gave Kitten the task of emptying the bags while he put the various groceries into their proper places. Kitten caught on quickly, separating the items into piles; one for refrigerated items and one for those not.

"Am I going to stay with Ms. Greenwich tomorrow?"

"No you'll be with me unless something comes up," Heero answered putting a box of crackers away in the cupboards.

"You don't have to work?"

"No, I won't have any work for a while so I can spend time with you. Tomorrow we can look for a bed and furniture."

"Do I really get my own room?"

"Yes."

"You don't have to," he said quietly.

"I know but I want to. You need a place to put all your clothes and toys."

"So I can stay with you?"

"Yes."

"Forever?"

Heero chuckled, "No, not forever." Seeing Kitten's ears droop he added, "When you grow up you'll want to have your own house. Until then you can stay with me as long as you want."

"Really?"

"Really."

"What about when my Daddy comes back?"

"If you want to stay with me Kitten you can stay with me," he said seriously. He didn't think a judge would allow Duo to take back custody of Kitten and he would be there for the boy no matter what even if it meant he had to stand up to Quatre.

"You won't leave me?" he asked and Heero's heart lurched at the pain and sadness he heard in the boy's voice. He sat the box of oatmeal down on the counter moving to cup Kitten's face in his hands.

"If I can help it, Kitten, I won't leave you. Okay?"

"Okay," he said bringing his small hands up to rest against Heero's and moved, Heero bent down to kiss the small boy's cheek.

"Is it bad that I'm mad at my Daddy, Mr. Heero?"

"No," he said pulling away slowly, "I'm mad at him too."

"I don't like being mad," he said, "makes my head hurt."

Heero laughed running a hand over Kitten's ears, "Me, too. But we'll keep each other happy. I'll take care of you and you can take care of me."

"I can't take care of you, you're a grown up!"

"Well," he said leaning in conspiratorially, "Don't tell Mr. Trowa but sometimes I forget to water my cactus."

"Mr. Heero!" Kitten laughed.

"And I leave my towel on the floor and I don't eat all my vegetables."

He was happy to see the boy laughing and smiling and felt good knowing that he was the one to cheer him up.

"I'll help you, Mr. Heero."

"Thank you, Mr. Kitten," he said seriously and Kitten covered his mouth trying to smother his laughter. "Let's finish up so you can have that cookie."

"Two cookies," Kitten reminded.

"Two cookies," he confirmed.

"And ice cream."

"I don't have ice cream."

"You forgot the ice cream?" Kitten asked bewildered. He dropped his head, shaking it sadly. "You need a lot of help Mr. Heero."

At that, Heero tossed his head back and laughed.

###

While Kitten colored at his coffee table, humming happily to himself cookies eaten and glass of milk emptied, Heero worked on his laptop pulling up the files for Gervais, more specifically his bank information. Over the last four years a number of transfers had been made into Gervais' three main accounts from a number of different unnamed accounts. All unnamed for know but he planned to names to the accounts to find out who was funding Gervais and who may have helped him escape.

"Mr. Heero."

"Hm?" he hummed looking up from his laptop's screen to the three year old kneeling before the table blue crayon moving rapidly across the paper.

"The funny blond man's at the door," he said nonchalantly, switching his blue crayon for a red, tilting his head as he contemplated his art.

Heero rose from his chair peering through the peephole just as there was a knock on the door. He pulled the door open knowing that it was Quatre without having to actually see him. He was dressed in a simple suit and tie, his hands at his sides as he tried to look unassuming. Ken stood behind his left shoulder, mirrored shades firmly in place ruining the non-threatening look Quatre tried to pull off. Michael was nowhere insight but he knew the woman would be lurking somewhere nearby.

"I'm not in the mood to deal with you, Quatre."

"I just came to talk. To see how you were doing. I promise."

He sighed, knowing that he had to let the man in or risk him parking himself outside his door. He was nothing if not tenacious and with Michael as an assistant he could wind up living very comfortably outside Heero's door.

"Come in," he said backing away from the door to let Quatre enter. Ken didn't immediately follow looking to his right and Michael's head came into view as she peeked around the doorframe. She moved, keeping her chest and tablet pressed close to the wall inching past Heero as quickly as she could. Ken followed her shaking his head at her antics, closing the door behind him.

He ushered the group in the living where Quatre and Michael took a seat on his leather couch while Ken took up a spot against the wall behind Heero's armchair watching over the room. Kitten's attention was now focused on the three new arrivals as he rose from his spot across from Quatre holding out his hand in greeting.

"Hi, I'm Rhys Maxwell. You can call me Kitten."

"It's nice to meet you Kitten. I'm Quatre," he said taking the boy's hand shaking it.

Kitten moved towards Michael repeating his greeting with his hand extended and the paranoid woman pulled away slightly looking to Quatre for guidance. At his nod she tentatively put a hand out, saying her name for the boy giving him the barest handshake possible. Done with the two of them, Heero watched as the boy moved to Ken who took the greeting warmly, pumping his hand hard enough to make his whole body shake and the boy laughed.

Returning to his place at the table picking up his crayon to continue coloring.

"How are you feeling Heero?" Quatre asked without looking at Heero his focus on Kitten alone.

"Fine. There were no lasting effects."

"Are you sure?"

"Are you going to ask me if I'm unfit Quatre?"

"No," Quatre said looking up at Heero smiling, "I believe in you more than I do myself at times Heero. I know you'll take excellent care of him."

"What did you come here for Quatre. The truth."

"Let's step outside," he said rising from the sofa gesturing to Heero's balcony.

Heero rose walking with Quatre to the sliding glass doors, opening them to allow the blond to pass through before following him out closing the door behind them.

"I know that you lost your job today."

"And?"

"I want to offer you the use of my lawyers. I know you had nothing to do with Duo's escape or his kidnappings."

"I can find my own lawyer should they try to pursue this."

"Heero," Quatre said with a sigh. "I don't want us to fight. I didn't come here to try and take Kitten away from you."

"But you want to."

"I want to do what I think is best for him."

"He doesn't need to be fixed Quatre. The ears, the tail are a part of him. He was born that way and I won't let you make him feel like less because you think he needs to be fixed."

"I understand but Splicing is unpopular. I'm personally in support of it but until there are laws and regulations passed legalizing it, he will be an outcast. I want to protect him from that."

"Hiding him away won't help him."

"No it won't, but until there's a time when he can walk down the street without someone trying to kidnap him, it's for the best that he's taken care of."

He nodded, not committing himself to answering one way or another. He believed that Kitten needed to be well taken care of, protected until there was a time when he could fit in with other children. He, however, didn't want to entrust the task to anyone but himself.

"You're going to be stubborn about this," Quatre said, "I can feel it. Just promise me that if you need help you'll come to me. You don't have to do this on your own."

"I'll try, Quatre."

They turned to the glass doors walking back inside and both froze shocked at the scene before them. Michael sat on the sofa with Kitten beside her with both of them bent over her tablet. More extraordinary than that, Kitten had control of the pen using it to tap at things on the screen while Michael looked on smiling.

"Wow," Quatre breathed and Heero echoed him whole-heartedly.

After exchanging small talk and marveling over the fact that Michael let Kitten anywhere near her tablet to play a good natured game of checkers, Heero saw the trio out the door. Kitten gave his opinion of the three saying that Quatre was nice, Michael was fun and Ken quiet while helping Heero to clean up his crayons.

Having experience in getting Kitten cleaned and ready for the day, Heero didn't find it too difficult to get him ready for bed. Clean, dry and wearing a fresh pair of pajamas the boy climbed into Heero's bed waiting patiently for Heero to go through his nightly routine of locking down the apartment and dressing for bed.

He turned the light in the bedroom off but left the light to the adjoining bath on with the door cracked for Kitten's benefit. Climbing under the covers he had barely lay down before the three year old was pressing himself close to Heero's chest, fisting his shirt. He knew the boy was still fighting off the stifling sadness and he only hoped that he could continue to cheer him up and keep his mind off his father's abandonment.

He'd tried not to think about Duo all day but in the dark holding close to his son he couldn't help but think of him. Even if Duo had drugged him to somehow protect him from being accused of involvement in his escape and kidnapping of several people it didn't stop his heart from aching. He couldn't get Duo's promise to stop playing in his head coupled with the sting of the needle sliding into his back. In fact his dreams circled through Duo telling him of his feelings for him while attacking him with sharp objects.

When the phone rang early the next morning it startled him awake, jostling Kitten who lay half on and half off his chest murmuring in sleep. He couldn't be sure but he thought he heard him say something about an obvious bad guy. He reached for the phone flipping it open to answer.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Yuy, I'm sorry to call you this early. I understand if it's a bad time."

"No, no Wimbly," he said sitting up. "What is it?"

"Well Master Peacecraft and I were concerned when you didn't come to visit before his surgery. He asked that I call."

"I completely forgot. Things have been hectic for me these past few days."

"Yes, we were recently informed of your hospitalization. I hope that everything is alright. We pushed the surgery back when we heard the news."

"Oh, when is it?"

"Today. Master Peacecraft is about to be prepped. There is still time to see him if you wish. He will understand if you can't make it. He simply wants to know that you are alright."

"Please tell him that I'll be there shortly. I'm sorry for making you worry."

"It's quite alright. I'll relay the message to Master Peacecraft he'll be pleased to hear it."

"Thank you, Wimbly."

"I look forward to seeing you Mr. Yuy."

The phone disconnected and Heero lay back wondering how he could have forgotten Zechs surgery. While Zechs routinely went in for corrective surgeries he tried to make it to as many of them as possible to reassure the man and be his support even when he claimed that he didn't want him around. Although he had a very valid excuse for letting it slip past him he was disappointed in himself.

"Who's Master Peacecraft? Kitten asked at his side, sitting up to look down at Heero.

"A friend of mine. He's having surgery today. We need to get dressed. Do you have your hat?"

"Yes. Nana packed it."

"Good. Go and find it and some clothes. We need to leave quickly."

"Okay!"

The boy scrambled across the bed heading straight for his bags where he combed through the various pieces of mismatched luggage for an outfit. Heero followed his example climbing from the bed looking through his closet for clothes.

Within twenty minutes they were on the road to Pleasant Valley Medical where Zechs would be having his surgery. The media was already parked outside hoping to catch a glimpse of the injured heir. Not being new to the treatment, Heero knew that Zechs would have been admitted the night before via ambulance to save himself from the media frenzy.

He walked Kitten in through the rear entrance, winding through the halls of the hospital to the main lobby in search of a nurse who could tell them where Zechs' was located. As he approached the reception desk a hand ran across the back of his shoulders as a familiar female voice spoke, "Once upon a time there was a former Preventors agent and his beautiful, and I might I say brilliant, attorney."

"Dorothy," Heero said turning around to face the tall blond woman. He felt Kitten move behind him, pressing close to his legs, hiding. "What are you doing here?"

During the war, he and Dorothy Catalonia had not been friends. In fact he could say at one point they were enemies so it came as a surprise to him that he was friends with woman today. She looked both elegant and dangerous in a gray designer pants suit with black heels. Her long hair was pulled back into a low ponytail that hung down her back. Even her pleasant smile looked cruel and calculating and Heero thought it funny that people misread her expressions as often as they misread his. She was still the calculating woman that she had been before though now her focus was turned towards working for the greater good alongside Relena. The two women not only worked together but were best friends and were rarely seen separate from each other.

"When Zechs tried to weasel out of surgery, Relena made it her personal duty to see it through. Can you believe he tried to use you as an excuse?"

"He doesn't want the surgery for a reason," he said, chastising the woman.

"Yet he lets Relena talk him into it every time."

"I'm sure she had help."

"Heero," she chuckled holding her hand up in mock surrender, "I'm an innocent bystander in all of this."

"Of course," he said sarcastically.

Dorothy smiled, changing the subject. "So, I hear you lost your job and adopted a bouncing baby boy."

"News travels fast."

"As if Relena and I have given up stalking you. It is our favorite past time and every girl needs a hobby."

"Where is Relena?" he asked not seeing the other woman anywhere in sight.

"Fending off the press. This is an excellent PR opportunity and we couldn't turn it down. Now," she said clapping her hands together, bending down to look at Kitten who peered at her from behind Heero's legs. "Is this the little man I've heard so much about?"

"Yes," he said nudging Kitten forward. "Kitten this is my friend Dorothy. Dorothy this is Kitten."

"What happens next?" the small boy asked confusing both Heero and Dorothy.

"What?" she asked.

"In your story. What happens next?"

"Oh," she said giving them both a wolfish grin, "Well the beautiful and brilliant attorney works her magic and gets the former Preventors agent Director Yates' job."

"Dorothy that's not necessary."

"Heero, please. It's an open and shut case. I could win this in my sleep."

"Even if you won, I couldn't go back to work with the other agents thinking I'm corrupt."

"Just another charge to slap against Yates for a hefty pay out. When I'm done you'll own the Preventors."

"Will you pick me up?" Kitten asked in the pause, tugging on the hem of the woman's suit jacket.

"Are you going to vomit on me?" she asked with narrowed questioning eyes and Heero shook his head at the woman.

"No."

"Alright then," she said happily lifting the boy under his arms settling him on her hip.

"Can I touch your eyebrows?"

"Why?"

"Because they're scary," he whispered his eyes widening as he looked at the woman's grey forked brows.

"You know if you weren't so cute I'd drop you."

"Dorothy," Heero scolded.

"What? I'm being honest. He's old enough to handle honesty."

"Honesty is the best policy," Kitten said nodding at his own wisdom.

"That's right."

"And I'm not just cute, I'm adorable," he said turning his nose up.

"If I ever decide to wreck my body giving birth I hope my baby is as wonderful as you," Dorothy said seriously, looking at the boy as if she had just found a long lost family member or at least a another person as vain and self-centered.

"I'm sorry," Kitten said.

"Why are you sorry?"

"'Cause I'm one of a kind."

"Dear. God. I love you" she squealed squeezing him tightly to her chest and Heero could only raise an eyebrow at the very strange moment wondering if he wasn't still at home asleep having a stress-induced dream. Only Dorothy with bond with a child who could be as self-absorbed as she.

"Heero why don't you go up and see Zechs while a take this little man out for breakfast."

"Fine," he said rolling his eyes, "Stay inside the building and make sure he keeps the hat on. I don't want to see him on the news."

She waved him away, her attention focused solely on the boy in her arms. "You would look so handsome in a suit. With wingtip shoes. A little millionaire."

"Dorothy."

"Fifth floor, room 508," she said walking away and Kitten smiled waving as they disappeared around a corner.

He sighed, knowing that if Dorothy took so strongly to Kitten, he would have to fight Relena off the boy.

It had been sometime since he'd seen Relena and while Dorothy liked to tease about the two of them stalking him he knew that Relena's obsession had waned. They remained very good friends visiting with each other as often as their busy schedules allowed. With his current unemployment he would have a lot more time to spend with his friend.

He took the elevator to the fifth floor thinking of all the things he could do while jobless, amusing himself with ideas of cross country road trips with Kitten as his navigator. They could eat at every diner, drive-in and dive, and visit all the theme parks and circuses they could find until they were too fat and sore to go on. He was smiling as he stepped off the elevator and was just in time to catch the nurses and orderlies as they began to wheel Zechs, bed and all down the hall. He jogged up to the bed, walking beside it looking down at Zechs' uncovered face.

It was still shocking to see the blackened skin, open wounds and bits of metal and he knew to be exposed this way was trying for Zechs. He touched the man's hand and he blinked his eyes open. The pale blue eyes were clearly relieved to see him as he smiled softly, as much as his deformed mouth would allow.

"Hi," he said, keeping pace with the bed.

"How are-you?"

"I'm fine. I'll tell you all that's been going on when you get out of surgery."

"No. Talk to-me now."

"I wouldn't have enough time to tell you everything that's happened."

"Recap."

Heero sighed not really wanting to rehash the events of the past few days in front of strangers but there was always a chance that Zechs would not live through the surgery. The man once told it would be ironic to go under to improve his quality of life to die on the table. He also knew that it was a very real fear for him and having something else to focus on would help.

Turning the corner heading towards the double doors that would lead to the surgery bay he and the others were blinded by flashing lights. Three men, two holding digital cameras, one with a video camera blocked the hall snapping pictures, recording Zechs in his exposed state.

"Get him out of here," he said to the staff blocking the paparazzi's shot, going as far as to snatch one of the cameras from the men. They ran with the two cameras they had left before he could snatch them away and destroy the film to save Zechs the embarrassment of have his face splashed across the news. He turned back in time to see the bed clear the double doors and followed, making it as far as the door as a tall nurse dressed in surgical scrubs, a paper hat and mask stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"Sorry, sir. You're not allowed in here."

The man ducked inside the bay letting the door swing closed behind him and Heero stared, disappointed at not being able to tell Zechs that he had at least managed to grab one camera or to reassure him that everything would be alright when the door swung back wafting a familiar scent to his nostrils.

"Duo," he growled, pushing on the door as the door pushed back. Hard.

He was airborne as several explosions rang out, bright white lights blinding him as he crashed into the wall dropping to the floor like a stone as debris rained over him. He was head blind, his vision and hearing gone and he clawed at the floor, trying to find something to grab onto to reorient himself. He was rocked by a second set of explosions that rained more debris over him and he could feel people rushing past him, running feet making the floor tremble under his hands. He blinked rapidly trying to clear his vision trying to find where Duo had gone and who he'd come for though he knew without asking.

Gervais had come for Zechs.


	24. TwentyThree

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

"_Like father, like son. Nothing but a freakish little whore."_

"_Look at him. Only a matter of time before he turns over and tries to give one of my boys a hole to fuck."_

"_You're no better than the rest of them. I hate to think what you do to the boy when you're alone with him."_

The words echoed through Heero's mind long after he punched Special Agent Long in the face, rupturing his nose like bursting an over ripened tomato. He'd taken great satisfaction in making the smug man squeal in pain and didn't regret being arrested for assault. Dorothy made it very clear that she would have him out of jail in under an hour as they dragged him from the hospital.

Forced down the halls of the Preventors' headquarters with his wrists cuffed behind his back, he kept his head high. He was not ashamed of what he'd done; in fact, he wished he could have done more to put the self-righteous man in his place.

The police had been phoned the moment the first flash bomb went off and by the time the last rang through the halls the Preventors were on the scene with dogs in tow, hoping to catch Duo and Gervais' scent and recover the missing Peacecraft heir. Once his vision cleared and his hearing returned Heero helped to scour the hospital. Knowing Duo's tactics and love of the theatrics, he found a male nurse naked besides his boxers shoved inside his own locker with Duo's clothes neatly folded on the shelf above. Gervais followed Duo's example, though in a more vain and cocky manner, stealing the clothes of the head surgeon, leaving the man unconscious in his office.

The dogs had no trouble picking up the scent, backtracking though the halls of the hospital. Heero, along with the other agents, went chasing after them with Heero in the lead to be the first to demand answers from the wayward Splicer. Ten minutes of running down halls and stairwells, the dogs hesitated briefly outside the ambulance bay before turning back inside the hospital. A mixture of hope and anger flared in Heero's chest; hope that Duo was somewhere nearby and anger that he would think the Preventors' so slow as not to thoroughly check the hospital for them.

He wasn't surprised, however, when the dogs led them into the cafeteria where Kitten, Dorothy, Relena and others were sequestered for their own protection. Heart in his throat, he stumbled to a stop, watching as the growling, slobbering dogs bounded into the boy knocking him into the ground, converging on him as one. The space surrounding the dogs, suddenly huge as those near moved away in fear, felt like an impenetrable ocean to Heero, one that he couldn't cross in time to save the boy.

"Mr. Heero!" Kitten yelled, "It tickles!"

Heero didn't breathe, his heart didn't beat again until he heard Kitten's vibrant laughter and realized that the dogs weren't attempting to devour the boy but drown him in slobbery kisses. Relaxing he turned with the intention of giving orders to the standing agents, forgetting that he was no longer a commander in charge of anyone, when Long's face and the look of disgust he read there stopped him. Long's face should have been enough warning for the words that would spill from his mouth but his hatefulness still managed to take Heero by surprise. He couldn't clearly remember if it was the comment about Kitten whoring himself to a pack of dogs or if it was Long accusing Heero of being a pedophile and rapist that drove his fist forward but one way or another the man had sent him into a rage that had taken three agents to stop.

Long wasted no time pressing charges, completely forgetting that he'd been called in to find Duo and Gervais and recover Zechs, leaving local authorities or more specifically Lieutenant Denvers in charge. No doubt, the woman was happily letting Duo and Gervais slip past her while she gloated over a minor victory.

Jolted back to the present by a rough pull on his arms forcing him to stop, he looked up at the agent leading him forward, following his gaze down the hall. Nellie, still dressed in her schoolgirl attire and as wild as he had last seen her, struggled against the three agents who carried her as she screamed obscenities, promising to feed the agents their own genitals. He pressed himself against the wall with the agent holding him following suit to give the others room to pass.

"Heero," Nellie breathed as the procession came even with him, lifting her head to stare at first him then the agent holding him. "You did it."

She fought harder then, managing to knock the agents away in her struggle. She fell to the ground heavily, laying prone for only seconds before coming to her feet lunging at Heero. He braced for impact, unnecessarily as she embraced him, arms folding around his neck. She pressed her face to his, aggravating his bloody cheek as she rubbed against him.

"You did it. You killed him," she said happily, assuming he'd been arrested for killing her father.

Behind her, the recovering agents picked themselves up off the ground, drawing their weapons on the girl barking out orders she ignored. He watched them warily over her shoulder hoping they would have enough sense not to shoot him through her.

"No, I didn't," he said flatly, clearing the misconception.

"But," she said pulling back to look him in the face, gently touching her hand to his cheek, "But why else would they arrest you?"

_Because I beat up a jackass_, he thought and would have said so aloud had said jackass not appeared, nose heavily bandaged.

"What the hell is going on here?" Long barked.

"Sir, we were transporting the inmate back to her cell when she broke free."

Nellie turned, giving bright yellow eyes to Long and he grunted the same look of disgust he'd given Kitten taking over his bruised and broken face. Heero had no guesses as to why the man hated Splicers so much but could only hope that the man would keep his mouth while Heero had a sociopath wrapped around him.

"Jesus, where do you find these freaks, Yuy?" Long said and Heero's hope was short-lived.

"Who is he?" Nellie asked turning her body so that she kept Long in her sights and her face pressed to Heero's, their lips brushing as she spoke and he answered.

"He's no one. Pay him no attention." He hoped to spare Long from her attention, to keep the girl focused on him. He couldn't be sure that the girl wouldn't turn on him, hurt him but he could do what he could to keep her from hurting others.

"Did you do that to his face?" she asked and Heero kept his face blank, his body still. It was Long who answered her, face coloring a horrid shade of red that made the cuts and bruises darker, more noticeable.

"Bitch. Why isn't this thing wearing cuffs?" Long pointed, looking to the agents who made no move to pull the girl away.

"None of the cuffs are strong enough to hold her, sir."

"Thing," she repeated softly, rubbing her face against his, her focus completely on Long,

"I hate him."

"I don't give a damn if you hate me. Your opinion means nothing to me. You mean nothing to me."

"Long, enough. Leave her alone."

"You know what your problem is, Yuy? You're so focused on your dick you don't see what's going on around you. This girl, Maxwell, Gervais they're all murderers and it won't be long before one of them gets you killed."

"I'm going to kill you," she sang lightly.

"I'd like to see you try, bitch."

"I don't try. I succeed," she said leaning forward smiling menacing. "I'm a winner."

"Nothing but freaks. All of them. Get her back to her cell and Yuy into an interrogation room."

Nellie turned away from Long pressing her forehead to his. Her yellow eyes were startling up close. Bright and demanding and he couldn't look away. He could read violence in her eyes as easily as he could read words on a page. This was not a girl easily stopped. This was not a girl who let things go. This girl was only happy when blood was splashed across the walls and Heero hoped to never become her target.

"Don't fight them," he said before she had a chance to speak and she smiled softly at him. "Don't give them a reason to hurt you."

She loosened her grip on his shoulders, backing away slowly. Dark ideas were forming in her head and Heero hoped that the agent's put their training to good use.

"Put your hands behind your head," one of the agents ordered once she was a few feet away from Heero. She complied, burying her hands in her hair. Two of the agents holstered their weapons grabbing her arms, forcing them down behind her back while the third kept his gun trained on her. All the while the smile never left her face.

"They can't hurt me," she said, "I'm invincible."

It was the only warning the assembled men had and it did little good. Nellie moved with swiftness, crossing the distance between herself and Long, launching onto the man's shoulders. Feet firmly planted, hands gripping the screaming man's head, she twisted left then right. The sound of bones snapping, grating against each other dissonant and jarring, forcing the men silent as they watched in horror.

She leapt away in an acrobatic move that would make Trowa envious, landing on the other side of Long's body with a flourish as his corpse crumbled to the ground. She took a bow, smiling proudly at her handiwork, then rose blowing a kiss. She turned, sprinting down the hall laughing as she went.

Time had stopped for Heero and the other agents as they stared in shock. Just moments ago the very same arms that took Long's life, leaving him a broken corpse on the carpeted hallway floor were wrapped around Heero's neck. Shuddering, Heero forced himself to look away.

"Get these cuffs off me," he said lowly.

"What?" the agent, his escort, said blinking confused.

"Get these fucking cuffs off me! We have to stop her before she leaves the building."

"Yes, sir," the agent snapped, ridding him of the restraints in record time.

"Give me your extra sidearm. You two," he said pointing to his escort and one of the other agents, "are with me. You two cover the back and sound the alarm."

"Yes, Commander," the men said coming to attention, focused on their orders.

Heero led his team down one end of the hall, while the other agents ran in the opposite direction, pushing any fear or guilt he felt aside. He had no time to blame himself for Long's death, for becoming the focus of sociopaths love. He focused on stopping her before she hurt anyone else.

They caught up to her just as the elevator doors closed on her cheerful, waving countenance and Heero brought the men up short, the borrowed sidearm cradled in his hands as he watched the individual floor numbers light up as the car made its downward descent. The seconds felt like minutes as they waited, their harsh breathing the only sound between them. The light stopped on the number one blinking several times, and Heero ordered the men into the stairwell, running down the three floors erupting into the main hall.

Nellie stood, surrounded by no less than a dozen agents, in the main buildings foyer. Halfway between the elevators and the front entrance she'd made her stand a hostage clutched in her arms as she ordered the agents around her to lower their guns. Her back to Heero, he couldn't see who she held in her arms but he could make out the long, blonde hair of a woman bent backwards into a headlock. He crossed the space, shouldering past two agents to take aim at the girl, sighting down the barrel to the back of her head.

"Nellie," he called and the girl turned, the same sadistic smile on her face, revealing her hostage to be Sally Po.

His heart dropped to his feet. Not only was his friend being held captive but Nellie held a very familiar needle and syringe pressed to her throat. The slender piece of metal dented the skin of her neck, the slightest bit of force and it would puncture her jugular. Sally, eyes wide with panic, pulled uselessly at the girl's hand, using all of her strength yet Nellie refused to budge. Across from them, Heero caught Wu Fei and his pained and angry expression as he watched his partner being manhandled and threatened.

"Heero, tell them to play nice. Tell them to put their guns down."

"Nellie, don't do this. Let her go."

"Heero," she whined.

Heero lowered the gun to his side, stepping forward a hand raised to the other agents to wait for his signal, to give him a chance to talk her down. She'd already killed once today and wouldn't hesitate to do so again. He hoped that he could use her infatuation with him against her, to play to her emotions in hopes of freeing Sally.

"Nellie, this woman is a friend of mine. Please, don't hurt her."

"Oh, my Hee-chan," she said softly, tilting her head gently to the side in innocence. The movement of her head the complete antithesis to the movement of her hand as she brutally shoved the needle into Sally's throat forcing a scream from the older woman. "You're mine. You can't have any other friends besides me."

She depressed the plunger, injecting bright blue liquid into Sally's neck. She held her through the first bucks of the change, one arm around her neck and the other around her chest. Sally's blonde hair turned white, her teeth sharpened, grew long, jaws snapping as she roared fighting against Nellie's hold. The girl turned around taking Sally with her, shoving the pained woman forward and into the crowd of Preventors.

"You know what you have to do," she said looking over her shoulder to Heero with a cruel smile, "if you don't want her to kill them." She blew another kiss before running head long into the chaos she caused, artfully dodging the agents and skewing the shots of those on the other side of the hall.

Heero gave chase, running wide around the mess Nellie left them, focusing on stopping her before she made it to the glass entrance. Three agents were on his heels, the same idea in mind, running full tilt to no avail. Heero thought the girl fast before but she blurred before his eyes, moving at a speed he couldn't comprehend, not even pausing long enough to push open the doors instead shattering through them and into the street. He ducked through the broken pass, glass crunching under his feet as he scanned the streets for some sign of where she'd gone. There was nothing to see except for morning traffic and a few pedestrians who gawked at the display that he and the agents made. She was gone.

###

The Preventors' clinic, while not the bombed out shell he imagined, looked as if a viral infection had been released inside the building. Every inch of available space was lined with thick clear plastic, insulating the area to keep the spread of airborne debris and dust to a minimal. The staff maneuvered through large slits cut into the plastic and Heero imagined that workers in Hazmat suits would feel at home in the space. Stepping inside the building, he felt quarantined, separated from the outside world in a plastic bubble. Only a matter of time before they ordered him to strip for a chemical bath.

Shaking off the morbid thought, he followed a helpful nurse through the plastic maze, surprised that he was being allowed inside. He couldn't imagine Yates doing anything less than making sure every employee knew not to let him on the grounds yet several agents greeted him as Commander, asking for his leadership and guidance in the ensuing chaos. He had to admit to himself that leading came naturally, as he didn't hesitate to organize the assembled men and women to give chase. No one questioned his orders and within minutes, two teams were on the move with another team covering surveillance using the colony's traffic cams to follow Nellie's progress.

Busy with that he had not been there to give orders on securing Sally Po. From the account he received, the woman, with what little of her personality she had left, broke away from the agents running towards the elevators. Barricading herself inside the car, she saved many an agent from being devastated by her teeth and claws. Wu Fei personally climbed into the elevator shaft, using the maintenance hatch in the ceiling of the car as an opening to shoot his partner full of tranquilizers. Unconscious and safe to handle she was quickly transferred over to Dr. Anderson's care.

"In here," the nurse said pointing him into one of the clinic's room.

"Thank you." He nodded to the woman receiving a gracious smile in return.

"You're welcome, Commander."

He stepped through the plastic, parting ways with the nurse to get his first good look at Sally. At first he thought her injured, burned, her skin charred but realized quickly that her pigment had become black. The color was unsettling paired with the bright white hair atop her head and the white fur growing along the lower half her arms and onto her hands. Her hands, now paws, were large with black-tipped claws that looked obscene as Wu Fei cradled one in his thin, slight hands. The other gently brushed the side of her malformed jaw where jagged teeth protruded from her lipless mouth.

"What did she do to her?" Heero asked quietly to Dr. Anderson who stood on the other side of the bed. His mind failed to supply him with the animal the older woman had been turned into.

"Polar bear. We were able to stop the transformation before the fur grew all over her body. We were very lucky she was so close by."

"How can this be lucky?" Wu Fei asked voice dangerously low.

"Had it taken any longer for us to reach her she would be dying of heatstroke. We would have to keep her submerged in ice to keep her temperature below ten degrees Celsius."

"Why is her skin black and not white?"

"A polar bear's skin is black and the fur white. I thought she was a panda at first but the tests came back negative for panda DNA."

"You worked closely with Dr. Gervais," Heero said, "Can you restore her?"

Wu Fei looked up from Sally's darkened face, giving his full attention to the man before him.

"I'm not sure. It isn't as simple as customizing an antidote."

Heero looked to the doctor trying to understand the trepidation he heard in the man's voice. Dr. Anderson, first name James, looked disquieted by the situation. His metallic blue eyes, shaded by a fall of dirty blond hair, stared at Sally's still form. His hands were buried deep into the pockets of his lab coat, pulling heavily on the material around his shoulders. He came highly recommended to the Preventors', an expert in genetic splicing, though not to the degree of Dr. Gervais. He handled all the splicing cases that came through the clinic, restoring a countless number of detained Splicers. Heero knew that the Murai case was hard on the man, watching his patients die with no hope in sight. Working with Gervais had no doubt taught him new techniques that he was now being forced to put to the test on his first patient since Gervais' escape.

"Why not? You said you stopped it before it got too far. Why can't you reverse it?" Wu Fei asked.

"I shouldn't tell you this. I don't believe that she knows herself." He paused looking away from their intense stares before saying quietly, "She's pregnant."

"What?" Wu Fei asked shocked.

"When she came in after the incident with Agent Northman she asked to have her yearly physical done as well. Her urine sample was negative for the pregnancy hormone. The results from the blood test, however, proved otherwise. With everything that's happened, we didn't have the opportunity to tell her."

"How…how far along is she?"

"That's the problem. When she was first brought in today we estimated the fetus to be at least seven weeks."

"And now?" Heero asked.

"From the last ultrasound…almost fourteen."

"What?"

"Gestation for a female polar bear is four months," Dr. Anderson replied, the information reminiscent of Gervais' animal lessons.

"Are you saying the splicing is changing the baby along with her?" Heero asked.

"Yes. Under normal circumstances, the fetus would not be altered due to splicing as the changes to the DNA do not affect the reproductive cells or DNA. To be absolutely sure, the mother would be given an inoculation as part of prenatal care to keep the baby from taking on any animal characteristics."

"But this isn't a normal case."

"No. This is the first case that I've heard of with a fetus reacting in such a way. I'm not sure that we could restore her without endangering the fetus. I don't know what the effects might be.

"Is it possible that one of you know who the father might be?"

"It's me," Wu Fei answered surprising both Heero and the doctor.

"That's against regulations," Anderson blurted and received a scathing glare. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend. Are you married?"

"No."

"I see. Is there anyone who can make decisions on her behalf? Legally speaking?"

"No."

Anderson sighed, shoulders slumping as if the weight of those answers weighed him down. "As of right now, the fetus has aged to almost four months and is not endangering her life. We can't abort the pregnancy. We'll need to run more tests to confirm the status of the fetus. So far from what we can see there've been no…abnormal growths. I think that once we restore her, the pregnancy will continue at the normal rate."

"And the baby?"

"I'm hoping that just like the recombinant altered the fetus and its gestation, the antidote will have the same effect."

"Do whatever you can for them," Wu Fei begged, voice strained with emotion.

"Of course. If you'll excuse me," Anderson said softly, leaving the room.

"Are you alright?" Heero asked though from the look of him, Wu Fei was anything but all right. He'd gone pale at Anderson's words of pregnancy, his pallor deteriorating further as he listened to the details.

"No. I…you know why I didn't tell you about us."

No, he didn't. In fact, even in light of the current situation, Heero was hurt that his friend didn't trust him. Anderson was right. It was against regulations for those working as partners or in teams to date. Sally and Wu Fei both risked being separated, demoted or even fired for their indiscretion. Knowing, Heero would never have betrayed their trust or judged them for their relationship. It brought to mind the many things his _friends_ failed to tell him about themselves. He was beginning to wonder if he even understood the concept. All the same, he nodded his understanding.

Wu Fei sighed, lowering his eyes. "We've been together for almost four years. I was, no, I am going to ask her to marry me. I was waiting for the right moment."

"It isn't too late. I have faith in Dr. Anderson and the rest of the staff here," Heero encouraged but his words breezed past Wu Fei without the other man acknowledging.

"I didn't know she was pregnant. She must not have known either. She wouldn't have put her self in danger if she did."

"Wu Fei."

"Do you know where Maxwell and Gervais are, Heero?"

"No," he said forcefully, the cleaned cut on his cheek pulling as he glared at the man. That Wu Fei would even consider that he would help Duo and Gervais kidnap anyone, that he would hide them, protect was an insult that burned in his chest. He forced himself from saying anything further knowing it would only do more harm.

Wu Fei looked up at him then, face blank. "If they come for her, I won't stop them."

Heero said nothing. He didn't need to tell Wu Fei his opinion on that. Wu Fei could clearly read it on his face, by the angry set of his shoulders. They stared at one another silent for what seemed like hours, the tension between them thick. A dozen angry insults, curses and barbs circled through Heero's mind but he kept them to himself. Wu Fei was in love and in pain; he didn't need to be burdened with Heero's.

"I should leave," he said quietly. "It won't be long before Yates comes down to throw me off the property."

"It's true then? You were fired?"

"Yes."

"I thought it was a rumor. I knew you'd been suspended but…Yates has no reason to terminate your service."

Heero shrugged. "It's done. Call me when you know something. And Wu Fei, I'm sorry. About all of this."

Wu Fei nodded. "Thank you, Heero."

He left the room a final goodbye, finding his way back through the plastic maze albeit too late as he found Yates making his way towards the room. The older man's face was unreadable as he looked down at Heero and he preempted the man saying, "I was just leaving."

Yates nodded watching as Heero moved past him. "I'll be in touch, Yuy," he said and disappeared through the curtains before Heero had a chance to reply.

The trip home was uneventful though as he stepped into his apartment he found not only Kitten waiting for him, but Dorothy, Relena, Quatre and entourage there as well. Quatre had taken upon himself to break into his apartment to redo his office into Kitten's bedroom. Instead of light blue walls with clouds as Heero had envisioned painting, the room sported varying stripes of blue, purple and beige. The blues and purples being Kitten's favorite colors and the beige to accent and break up the stripes, or so he'd been told. A bed, dresser, and chest filled with brand new toys now dominated the room while Heero's own things were neatly stored in his own room.

"Do you like my room, Mr. Heero?" From his place in Relena's arms, Kitten played with the young woman's blond hair, looking at Heero expectantly.

Relena smiled at him. A genuine smile unlike the ones she wore during press conferences, meetings and formal balls. At twenty-four, she was still the youngest Vice Foreign Minister to ever take office. Heero did not envy her and the responsibilities heaped upon her. Dressed in long white skirt, pink button up, casual white blazer and sandals, she looked ready for a Sunday picnic. A large wicker hat would have thoroughly completed the look though having the three-year-old cat-boy resting on her hip didn't dissuade him from the imagery.

"It's very nice," he answered. They stood outside the door to Kitten's room while Quatre and Ken worked at sorting out the clothes from Kitten's luggage. A suspicious amount of clothing that he had not seen before were amongst the piles and he knew he could blame Quatre for the new wardrobe. Michael stood off to the side cataloging every detail on her tablet rather than helping her employer in his self-appointed task.

"We went to the headquarters to post your bail but we were escorted from the building because of a security breach. What happened with the Preventors?" Relena asked

"One of the prisoners escaped. Sally was hurt in the process," Heero explained hoping to keep the explanation to a minimum. He blamed himself for Sally's current state. He knew better than to bait criminals and his toying with Nellie and her infatuation had turned into a problem he hadn't foreseen. With her on the loose again, those around him would be in danger. He looked across his living room to Dorothy where she stood off to the giving instructions to someone on her cell phone. He would warn her of the danger on L1 and she would see to it that Relena was thoroughly protected.

"Is she alright?" Relena asked drawing his gaze back.

"I don't know yet. She was attacked with a splicing recombinant. The antidote will need to be custom made but the doctor isn't sure of what it will do to the baby."

"Baby? She's pregnant?"

"Hm," he murmured, nodding.

"Does Wu Fei know?"

"He's there with her."

"Oh," she said quietly looking away for moment, stroking a hand over Kitten's ears. "And the charges against you?"

"None were filed."

"Good," Dorothy said snapping her cell phone shut to join the conversation. "That means less work for me. Yates should be receiving papers by tomorrow."

"That's not necessary, Dorothy."

"Of course it is Heero," Relena argued, "You've done nothing wrong and shouldn't be punished for what someone else did."

"I appreciate the concern but I'll be fine."

"Heero," Relena started.

"Let's talk about something else please," he said and Kitten was quick to help him change the subject.

"Mr. Heero did you know that Miss Lena is a princess?"

"Yes, I did."

"She's my girlfriend too." Kitten gave a succinct nod as if his word were law drawing a smile from Relena.

"When did this happen?" Heero asked looking between the two.

"Today," Kitten answered.

"I couldn't say no," Relena said with a smile and a soft laugh.

"But I thought you were going to marry, Trowa."

"I am."

"Don't," Relena said suddenly pointing a stern finger at Dorothy who looked at the boy wide-eyed. "I don't want to hear another word about how alike the two of you are."

"Can you blame me? He even has good taste like me and isn't willing to settle for just one lover."

"If I didn't know any better I'd think you were his mother," Relena said with a roll of her eyes. She wrapped both arms around him, hoisting him higher on her hip.

"Ms. Dorothy can't be my mommy," Kitten said with a blush, hiding his face against Relena's hair.

"And why not?" Dorothy asked hands on her hips.

"You're too pretty."

"You see!"

"Don't encourage her, Kitten," Relena said and Heero could only shake his head.

Quatre stepped from the room, his hand idly brushing over his heart blinking as is confused. Kitten looked over to the blond man with a smile waving enthusiastically. The attention should have made him smile, instead he frowned harder.

"What's wrong Quatre?" Heero asked.

"I dismissed it yesterday, the incident with Michael. I assumed it was merely because he's an innocent little boy, but I'm beginning to think that it's more."

"What do you mean Quatre?" Heero asked.

"It's as if he bonds with the people around him, charms them. He knows just what to say, what to do to make them like him."

"I don't think it's anything that serious, Quatre," Relena said, "He's a very cute little boy. You would have to be crazy not to like him."

"Dorothy abhors children," Quatre replied flatly, "but she's in love with him. Michael has never let anyone touch her tablet not even me, but she let Kitten play with it. I think it's something more than just how cute he is."

Heero froze, so many incidences of Kitten's charm coming to mind. From Janet Hughes to the flight attendants for the shuttle to L2, to the cafeteria staff at Preventors HQ, to the Gilliam twins, to Quatre, Relena, Dorothy, to even himself. There was no one who had met the boy and not fallen in love with him. He wondered if Long had taken the time to talk to Kitten if he would have had such hurtful things to say about him or have been won over by his charm. That thought only led Heero to darker ones, wondering if Kitten controlled his unique ability, if it were one, or if it controlled him. Had he not been saved during the raid, would he be a willing participant in some pervert's fantasies?

"What are you thinking?" Relena asked staring at him, unnerved by whatever she saw on his face.

"When he was kidnapped. If this isn't something that he controls."

"You mean the Auction," Quatre said. "If he was bought…"

"Oh," Relena exclaimed clutching Kitten close, backing away as if to protect him from even the thought of it.

"You mean he might say and do things to make a pedophile like him more?" Dorothy asked disgusted with the thought. She turned to Relena crossing the space between them, drawing the woman's hand away to look at Kitten. "How do you make people like you?"

"I don't know," he said shaking his head. His ears were flat against his head obviously distressed by the serious tone of their conversation.

"Is it something that you do?"

"I don't know."

"You always say just the right thing Kitten," Heero said, thinking of how the child psychologist, Joyanne, would handle this sort of questioning. "You always know just what to say to cheer me up. How do you do it?"

Kitten shrugged, "I just know what to say."

"Does someone tell you?" Quatre asked.

"No." He blinked large eyes at Quatre, shaking his head.

"What if it was a bad man?" Relena asked.

"Like the men who stole your 'unnawears'. What would you say?"

"I'd scream real loud, like last time. I don't talk to bad guys."

"How do you know if they're bad?"

"They give me creepies."

"Creepies?" Dorothy asked, looking to Heero.

"Intuition maybe or just instinct" Quatre suggested. "Most animals know when danger is near and humans have a sense of when they're in danger as well."

"So we shouldn't worry about him going along with anything…untoward?" Relena asked.

"We should worry about the people who would try to take him and hurt him. Even without this ability he isn't safe, and won't be safe for a very long time especially if the bill doesn't pass," Quatre said.

"The splicing bill is dead on the floor," Dorothy replied crossing her arms.

"Dorothy's right. Most of the delegates agree that it's a freedom of choice issue. That the government shouldn't step in to control what you do with your body. Unfortunately with the death toll so high, even with enough restrictions in place on how to monitor and police splicing, the bill may not pass. Splicing hasn't been shown in a positive light and this Dr. M and his so called work are making it impossible."

"You realize that if Duo is able to repair Zechs' body through splicing that it would push the bill through, don't you?" Dorothy asked looking to Heero.

"You think that is what this is all about?" Heero couldn't deny the truth of the statement nor the fact that Gervais himself had said he wanted to prove that he wasn't a villain. He started to say more but was stopped by a niggling thought. He looked to Dorothy and Relena, and their calm, unworried faces. Neither had question Zechs' predicament, more concerned with Heero's welfare than that of the kidnapped man. The sudden talk of Zechs' situation benefiting the passing of a law only cemented things in his mind.

"You know where he is, don't you?"

Relena opened her mouth to speak but Dorothy's voice cut her off. "Relena, don't."

"I don't believe this. You're helping them," he said more amazed than shocked.

"I'm advising my client not to say anything."

"You're not on trial. This isn't an interrogation. Just tell me what's going on," he demanded.

"I met Gervais," Relena said, ignoring Dorothy's orders to stay quiet. "And Duo. I walked in on them when I went to speak with Milliardo's doctor. They told me what they could do for him. They asked for my permission and I told them yes."

"Relena!"

"He's in pain, Heero. None of the surgeries, none of the treatments are helping him. This, this could be the answer."

"You don't know what it could do to him."

"I had to let them try, Heero. Anything would be better than what he's going through now."

"Where are they?"

"I don't know. As I said, I just met them today. They didn't ask for anything other than that I let him go."

"And you agreed just like that without knowing what he might do to him. Gervais may have brainwashed Duo into helping him, forced him to attack me and you gave Zechs up to him without a second thought."

"Heero, I-"

"You have no idea what sort of lies he may be feeding into your brother's head, what kind of damage he's doing."

"I just assumed, if Duo was with him, then he was safe."

"Duo attacked me, or did you not know that he put me in the hospital?"

"It was a distraction, an alibi to keep you and Kitten safe. He told me himself."

"Who? Duo or Gervais?"

Relena looked guiltily to Dorothy, then to Heero, "Gervais."

"If you don't want to have the Preventors breathing down your neck I suggest you make a show of wanting to find your brother, Relena."

He stepped up, pulling Kitten into his arms and away from Relena, wanting to be left alone. The lies and deceit were piling up around him. So many people he felt himself close to were lying to him, keeping things from him.

"He's right," Dorothy said herding Relena towards the door, a hand on the young woman's elbow. "We need to schedule a press conference."

"Heero," Quatre said once the two women were gone, "You're not going to turn them in, are you?"

"What jury would convict her for trying to save her brother's life? It would be pointless."

Heero sighed heavily against the top of Kitten's head, the boy's ears brushing against his cheeks. Barely three in the afternoon and he felt drained, tired from the emotional ride of the day. He wanted to sleep though he knew he would have nightmares of Long's death and haunting, violent yellow eyes. The overwhelming urge to flee came over him and he thought about packing his and Kitten's belongings and escaping to Earth. Away from the stress, away from the people he thought he knew, from the Preventors and their cases to a place where he could start fresh in a peaceful environment.

Kitten's arms tightened around his neck as the boy pulled himself up to press his lips to Heero's cheek. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. If nothing else, he could depend on the small boy to lift some of the weight from his shoulders, to bring him a slice of happiness with his innocence.

He returned the kiss, brushing his lips against Kitten's forehead smiling down at him.

"Let's go play toys."


	25. TwentyFour

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

_After Colony 199_

Duo was his go-to-guy for undercover work. Wherever Duo went he managed to blend, to become whoever he needed to be no matter the situation. He could go from a homeless street waif to an important dignitary without ever changing clothes. It was the way he moved, his posture, the nuisances of gestures made. It was a talent Heero lacked and envied. Duo, being his friend however, felt more than obliged to teach him what he knew and help where he could.

"You really need a haircut. I mean look at this. Your hair is down to your chin. When is the last time you had it cut?"

"Awhile."

He was fresh from a hot shower, dressed in his boxers, a towel hanging over his shoulders as Duo combed his fingers through his damp hair. He needed styling to play the part he had planned for the night. A politician's daughter had decided that it would be fun to runaway from home and into L1's underground. What should have ended with a night of partying quickly became a new way of life for the girl, as she was now the lover of a prominent drug dealer. Things needed to be kept quiet to get her out of the scene and into protective custody where hopefully she would take the stand against her lover. It was Heero's job to lure her out and he was trusting Duo to make him appealing.

"You've got to take care of your hair, Heero, else you'll be bald before you're twenty-five."

"I doubt that."

Scattered across Heero's bed were several combs, brushes, clips and other hair products that he couldn't put a name to that Duo brought for his makeover. Duo took his time combing through the wet tangles of his hair, placing clips here and there until a single section of hair was left hanging in his face.

"What are you going to do?"

"Straighten your hair. Trust me, it'll look good."

"I do," he said quietly, though he didn't think Duo heard him as he played with the settings on the flatiron. Louder he said, "You should reconsider joining the Preventors. You could be my partner."

"No," Duo sighed, bringing the iron up to close around the lock of hair he'd left free. Heero appreciated that Duo placed a protecting finger against his forehead to keep from burning him. "I'm done saving the world. Tired of the blood, sweat and tears of it all, you know?"

"Hn." He closed his eyes against the sight of the hot iron coming towards his face, leaving Duo to take care of him. The first piece of hair, now smooth and dry felt like silk against his face and he couldn't wait to see the end result as Duo sectioned off another piece to iron.

"But you, you were born to do this kinda stuff. Me? I don't know what I was born to do."

"You'll find something. You just need to find your niche in life."

"My niche?" Duo laughed. "Have they been making you take sensitivity classes or something?"

"Yes," he grumbled.

"I'm not hurting for money. Just bored, you know. I've got too much time on my hands. Too much time to think."

"You could work for me."

"Doing what?"

"My personal hairdresser."

Duo laughed, "Yeah right!"

"It was just a suggestion. How is Hilde doing?"

"Taking over the Preventors, I guess. She's been too busy with her new job to have time for me."

"It is a lot of work. I'm sorry I had to cancel on the movie."

"No, it's cool. I mean, I understand you guys are out saving the world. When I find my niche, I'll be busy enough to bail on you guys every now and again."

"I look forward to it."

"Jackass."

They were quiet as Duo finished, moving around his head to straighten the shorter hairs. He knew it was hard for Duo losing his yard, a business of his own making to the troubles of the economy. Scrap metal wasn't in high demand the way it was during the war and with no buyers, the business quickly went under. Hilde moved on, selling out of the business to join the Preventors while Duo moved to L1. Heero tried over a dozen times to get Duo to join the Preventors, to become his partner with no luck. For now, Duo was unemployed but surviving. Heero would rather he be happy.

"Okay, look."

Heero opened his eyes, as Duo's voice pulled him from his thoughts. A mirror before his face he stared at the soft, silky hair surrounding his face. The iron put sheen to his hair that he didn't have before, making it look lighter than the dark brown he was so used to. He ran fingers through his hair, marveling at the texture.

"See? What did I tell you? Looks good, right?"

"Yes."

"Now we just need to do something about your eyebrows."

"What's wrong with them?"

"Heero, you've got furry monsters living on your face. It's creepy." He turned his head looking meaningfully at the flat iron.

"You are not ironing my eyebrows."

"No, but I can thin them down. Close your eyes again."

A comb, scissors, what felt like a razor blade and fifteen minutes later he was asked to open his eyes and was amazed at what a difference thinner eyebrows made on him.

"You look hot. You're gonna have to beat the girls off with a stick."

"That seems unnecessary," he said flatly, keeping his face blank. "I'm sure a simple 'no' would suffice."

Duo looked at him blankly for all of a moment before throwing his head back in laughter. Clapping his hands on Heero's shoulders, Duo pressed his forehead to his with a chuckle. "Sometimes I forget just how funny you can be."

Heero reached up, touching his hands to Duo's arms, realizing he liked to see Duo smile, and the way his entire face lit up with happiness. He couldn't help but to return the smile as he stared into his friend's eyes. But Duo's smiled lessened, waned, and he began to pull away. Heero was tempted to hold on to him, to draw Duo closer and tell him that he liked his smile.

"Come on, let's get you dressed. You've got work to do."

He rose from the chair wondering what happened in that moment, what killed Duo's smile, but set it aside. Duo was right. He had work. Later, later when he wasn't so busy, when the cases weren't constantly piling up, he and Duo could slow down and spend time together.

_After Colony 204_

Heero wasn't the type of man to sit around and let the action come to him. Nellie wanted him and he knew from dealing with people like her that she wouldn't stop until she had him. He wouldn't put Kitten's life in danger by waiting for her to find them. He was going to find her first.

After a night of laying awake with the images of Long's death and Sally's attack replaying in his mind's eye he thought of a plan. With an entire underground community of Splicers, someone knew where Murai was hiding. The question was whether it was someone who worked for the man and believed in his self-proclaimed mission like Trent or some naïve Splicer like Lanie who thought him a hero to the people. If he could blend in enough to make a few confidences, he could hopefully find information on Murai and Nellie's whereabouts.

He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, critiquing his hair. Not as good as Duo had once done it but it would do. He didn't have the flat irons that Duo once owned and was forced to make due with Quatre's expensive blow dryer that left his hair straight and fluffy. It wouldn't matter much with the hood of his faded and worn sweatshirt pulled over his head. With ripped jeans and scuffed boots, the complete opposite to what he'd worn to Quatre's hotel room, it wouldn't be hard to slip past the two Preventors' agents trailing him.

He didn't need Trowa calling him the night before warning about the tail to spot the two men. They might as well have worn their uniforms with the terrible job they'd done at disguising themselves, but Heero thought that maybe that was the point. Yates wanted him to know that he was being watched.

He hung his original outfit, a pair of khakis and a white button down, on the back of the bathroom door where they would stay clean and pressed while he was away. Stepping out of the bathroom and into the sitting area, Quatre was quick to rise and approach him. It was a hard thing for him to leave Kitten in Quatre's care. Though the three year old was excited to be on what he called a play date, Heero wasn't eager to leave him behind.

"If you could wait a few hours, I could have a team here to help you," Quatre said, his voice lowered. "I have several men and women on my payroll that could be of use to you."

"It would draw too much attention. This is what I need from you. To look after Kitten."

"Of course, but I don't think it safe for you to go alone. You need someone there to watch your back. I can spare Ken for the day."

"I'll be careful, Quatre, I promise. I'll be back late tonight. There are several places I want to check out."

"I wish you weren't so stubborn, Heero. Putting yourself in danger to keep Kitten safe, while noble, is not the best idea."

"I know but I won't risk him by waiting for her to find me."

"I can't stop you then. Is there anything else I can do to help you, Heero?"

Heero paused, thinking over his words and looking to Kitten where he showed Ken and Michael the plastic ring he'd bought Trowa as an engagement ring. "Don't do anything to him, Quatre. No doctors or geneticists. I want him returned to me the same as when I left him."

A look of irritation and offense passed over Quatre's face. "What have I done to make you trust me so little?"

He looked into Quatre's pale blue eyes unwavering. "I've realized that most of the people around me aren't deserving of it."

Stunned, Quatre dropped his eyes. "I'm sorry to hear that. I know it hasn't been easy for you lately." Lifting his eyes, he said, "I'll take care of Kitten for you, Heero. Don't doubt that."

He gave one last look to Kitten, nodding his head. He could trust Quatre to keep Kitten safe and for today, he could trust him to leave well enough alone. He wouldn't come back to find Kitten completely human, but he knew it bothered Quatre. A child cloned and experimented on brought some of Quatre's worse fears to life and paraded them before his eyes. Quatre needed to remember that it wasn't him that was cloned. It wasn't him with the ears and tail. Heero didn't have time to reassure him today. He had more important things on his mind.

_After Colony 199_

"A cactus, huh," Duo said holding Heero's birthday present in hand. He sat at the kitchen table, turning the plant this way and that admiring it. "Cute."

Shaking his head, Heero came to the table, setting his and Duo's beer on the down. "I don't see how a cactus is cute."

"It's just like you."

"Explain."

"Prickly on the outside. Ninety percent water on the inside."

"Ha. Ha," he deadpanned, rolling his eyes.

"It's the perfect pet," Duo said plucking a needle from the green body of the cactus. He examined the point of the needle, pressing the finger against the tip. Then with careful precision, he pressed the tip into the table's surface, smiling as it stood unassisted. "You can abandon it for a couple days and it won't die."

"A cactus is not a pet. It's a plant."

"Tell me that after you've started talking to it. So what's its name?"

"It doesn't have a name."

"You should call it Spike." Duo turned the cactus slowly looking for another needle to pick.

"Very original."

"I try. So how long are you going to be gone this time?"

"A week. Ten days at the most. You're not going to miss me are you?" Heero teased, leaning close to Duo, taking in the scent of the other man's cologne.

"Absolutely. I'd die if you didn't come back," Duo replied sarcastically with a smile that Heero returned.

"Good. You know Wu Fei is going to be in town. You two should hang out."

Duo snorted. "Me and Wu Fei? I don't think so. And who calls L1 a town? That's like calling Texas a town. And hang out, Heero? You've been around me too long."

"What's wrong with Wu Fei?"

"We aren't friends."

"Yes, you are."

"No, we're not. Wu Fei acts like he's obligated to talk to me because we fought in a war together. Which is fine by me, it's not going to kill me that he doesn't actually like me."

Heero hated to admit that Wu Fei made him feel the same way at times. He watched Duo continue to pick the needles from the cactus, pressing them into the table. He didn't admit it to Duo, not wanting to seem as if he were trying to placate him.

"You could visit Quatre."

"You know he's offered me like thirty jobs in the past month? Bodyguard, security guard, computer analyst, safe deposit box, personal assistant, personal shopper…"

"Safe deposit box?"

"Yeah. He'd hollow out my torso," he answered leaning back in his seat, cutting out an imaginary square in his chest, "put in a metal safe and leave his money and all his valuables in me for safe keeping."

"You're not big enough to hold all of Quatre's money," he replied not mentioning the fact that Duo would die should Quatre choose to do such an unorthodox thing.

"You get the point…asshole," he said with a chuckle.

"Still, you could visit him while I'm gone."

"I'll pass. I don't want to be treated like a charity case. Q's fun and all but I don't want to sit around while he tries to fix me."

"You're killing my cactus."

"It's fine. They'll grow back. So," Duo said turning in his seat, "Tonight's not a total bust. We can still have dinner. On you, of course."

"Of course. Pizza?"

He took Duo's smile as an affirmative and rose from his seat to order for them both. A chicken supreme for himself and a meat-lovers with green peppers, onions and mushrooms for Duo. He sat back at the table questioning the look Duo gave him.

"You remembered my order."

"It's hard to forget. You order it every chance you get."

"Still, it's…cool."

Heero tried to hide the pleased smile that threatened to take over his face and changed the subject. "So what about Trowa?"

"Trowa, your super awesome partner?"

"You could have been my super awesome partner as you put it."

"Yeah but we talked about that. As for Trowa, I don't know. He's not rude but not really friendly either. I think I embarrass him or something. He'll talk to me, joke around, but nothing serious, you know. He was a lot more fun to hang out with when he had amnesia."

"I'm sure he'll appreciate you saying that."

"I don't mean it in a bad way, just he wasn't so, hm, reserved, I guess. He talked more back then."

"He's had a hard time adjusting since he left the circus. Once he's comfortable, he'll be easier to talk to."

"To you maybe. If I didn't know that he had a thing for Quatre, I'd swear he was in love with you."

Heero shook his head, unable to picture Trowa and himself together-though thoughts of him and Duo were easy to come by. In the last few weeks, he found himself wanting to spend more time with his friend. The more he saw of Duo the more he liked him, but he wasn't sure that Duo felt the same about him.

"And me?" he asked softly.

"You," Duo said with a grin spreading across his face. "You're my friend. My best friend in fact. Even if you keep a naked cactus as a pet."

"Those needles had better grow back," he said sternly though he warmed at knowing Duo considered him his best friend. "That was a present from Dorothy."

"I can't believe that you're friends with that psycho."

"She isn't psycho."

"Have you seen her eyebrows? That woman is deranged. Though," Duo reached out lifting the Heero's bangs from his eyes, "Your eyebrows aren't much better. I can't believe you let them grow back out."

The feel of Duo's fingers in his hair, of his warm and gentle thumb running over his brow forced Heero to drop his eyes away from Duo. He wanted to take Duo's hand in his. He wanted to lean across the space between them. He wanted to kiss Duo. But he was leaving in the morning and it would be unfair to them both to start something that would be put on hold. He needed to wait. Wait until he had more time. Chase was making hints about him being promoted to lieutenant and after that he would become a commander. He would have more time then. He wouldn't need to leave on missions as he did now and he could take his time to flesh out his feelings for Duo. He just needed to be patient, to wait until the time was right.

He looked up as Duo pulled his hand away, his fingers dropping to brush against his cheek. "I bet you're going to forget to water this thing."

"I'll try not to."

_After Colony 204_

It was late, almost nine at night, and Heero was exhausted and frustrated. An entire day of walking around malls, bowling alleys, comic book stores, and college campuses and he had nothing to show for it. He'd spotted a few Splicers, but none of whom had a connection to Murai.

And walking down the street with thoughts of Duo on his mind didn't help at all.

He spent most of the day thinking about Duo. Reviewing past conversations, wondering why he hadn't seen the signs. Not only of Duo's growing depression but also of his own feelings for the man. How often had he wanted to pull Duo close to him? How often had he wanted to kiss him? How often had he chosen logic over his emotions?

Thinking back on it, he would classify his feelings as having a crush on Duo. Nothing too serious, just wanting to be near him, to be allowed to kiss his cheek and hold his hand. Somewhere, along the line however his feelings had grown. Maybe somewhere in the four years that Duo was missing and he'd sat up sleepless nights worrying over his friend.

Finding Duo felt like a giant weight was lifted off him. The happiness and the excitement he felt threatening to overwhelm him every time Duo was near. The intoxicating smell that sent his hormones into overdrive didn't help much either. Being told that he was in love with Duo and realizing that it was true made dealing with the lies and half-truths much harder to deal with.

It was harder to think that every word from Duo's mouth came from Gervais, as if he were the puppet master and Duo his prized creation. Was Duo locked away somewhere in his own mind, watching as his body said and did things he didn't approve of? Or worse, did he really believe in Gervais so much? Was the Duo he knew a disguise, a mask hiding the real man underneath? The sort of man who could stab his so-called best friend in the back and abandon his son to another man's cause?

His heart was mourning in sorrow and yet after everything Duo had put him through, after all the trouble he caused him, Heero still felt something. Not love. Waking from a two-day coma killed any thoughts he had of true love. Hope, maybe? Though small at best, he hoped that Duo would be able to explain away everything he'd done and prove his feelings to Heero. He hoped that there could still be something between them while the more logical part of him argued that he would be stupid to let Duo get that close to him again.

He sighed. He didn't understand how other people did it, how they could battle such conflicting feelings and come out relatively sane. He'd dated before, even during the years that Duo was missing and maintained fairly successful relationships but none of them were as trying as what he had with Duo. He once heard someone say that 'you've never been in love until you've thought about killing your spouse' and with the way he felt, he reasoned that he loved Duo a lot.

He shook his head with a chuckle. Duo would have thought that funny.

He continued down the street almost a block from Quatre's hotel lost in his own thoughts but not so much that he didn't know that he was being followed. Whoever it was peeled off from the shadows of the last building and quietly followed behind him at a safe distance. He shifted, feeling the familiar and comfortable weight of his gun at the small of his back. He wouldn't be taken by surprise and he wouldn't go down without a fight.

"You didn't really think," a female voice said, "We'd fall for that old bait and switch, did you?"

Stopping Heero turned to find a woman he hadn't seen in years standing underneath a lamppost, at the edge of the large circle of light, a mischievous grin on her face.

"Hilde?"

Her hair was longer than he remembered, draping around her face in thick heavy curls. She wore a tailored pantsuit, with white collared shirt and tie. An expensive suit that a Special Investigator could easily afford. Hilde Schbeiker had joined the Preventors' not long after her scrap yard went under on L2 and quickly rose through the ranks becoming one of L2's top agents specializing in what were deemed cold cases.

"In the flesh." She gave a flourish with her arms as if making a grand entrance on stage and as she approached, stepping firmly into the light so he could see that not all of what lay atop her head was hair.

"You're spliced," he said flatly.

"An occupational hazard. I've been deep cover for the last six months busting a prostitution ring. Similar to what you guys had going on here with those auctions." She brought her hand up, combing through the thick strands, and what he had assumed was thick hair turned out to be ears. Cat ears to be precise, that pointed up and out, and raised, he could see the delicate pink insides. A matching tail unfurled from under her suit jacket, slim and navy to match her hair and ears. "Yates called me in before I had a chance to be restored. He's put me in charge of the Murai case."

"Chase was the one to catch Nellie. Why isn't he in charge?"

"Because he didn't catch Nellie. She allowed herself to be caught. You saw what she did yesterday. A low-voltage Taser taking a girl like that down?" Hilde asked. "She meant to be captured and brought to headquarters, to you. That needle all but had your name written on it."

"What makes you say that?"

"You're so cute when you play dumb." She patted his cheek with a patronizing smile.

"She knew your name. She came in wanting to see you and only you. My guess is Murai put her up to it to get rid of you."

"Then why didn't she use it on me? She had more than enough opportunity."

"I think Yates' firing you saved your life. Seeing you vulnerable and hurting did something for her. A lot for her in fact. You didn't see what she did in that chair." She grimaced with a theatrical shudder. "Gross."

"Is that why you're following me?"

"What? A girl can't stalk you for funsies?" Her tail beat playfully against his leg even as her face sobered. "You know as well as I do that Nellie isn't going to stop until she owns you. She may even give up Murai to get to you. And if I know you like I think I do that's where you've been all day. Out looking for her or someone who knows her and where she might hide."

There was a reason why Hilde was a Special Investigator.

"So, I'm going to make you a deal. You and I team up tomorrow and look for her. I know a couple places you didn't try today where we can get some answers and you turn Kitten over to Trowa for testing."

"No deal," he said abruptly turning on his heel.

"Trowa, Price and Weber will be there to make sure nothing bad happens and I've seen the tests they have planned," she said quickly. "It's nothing serious. No poking or prodding, I promise. It's nothing more than your basic physical and he'll be safe inside HQ."

"No."

"Duo was my friend too, Heero. I wouldn't let anything bad happen to his son."

He stopped at the anger he heard in her voice and gave the woman a chance to catch up to him.

"Yates won't stop pushing until he gets the tests done. If you cooperate it'll make things a lot easier and get him off your back."

"He isn't a lab rat."

"And he won't be treated like one. I personally went over the tests and like I said your team will be with him to supervise."

It was the best that he could hope for. He didn't want to risk Yates' taking Kitten away from him and at least with Trowa and the others there he would be safe. But he was afraid of the results, of what the tests might tell them both good and bad. Helpless to do anything else, he agreed.

"Good, I'll pick you up at ten."

Kitten was sound asleep when Heero carried him away from Quatre's room and remained that way on the short drive home. Heero was forced to carry the boy up the stairs to his apartment and suffer from drool soaking into his shirt while fumbling for his keys. He stirred as they topped the stairs, letting out a sigh as he adjusted his arms around Heero's neck.

"Fishy lady," Kitten mumbled as they approached the door and Heero stilled.

"What fishy lady, Kitten?" he asked quietly.

"The one in the house. She smells fishy."

"In my house, Kitten?"

"Mm-hm, on the sofa."

"Is she a bad lady, Kitten?"

"No, she's nice."

While he wanted to take Kitten's opinion at face value, he didn't trust the thought of someone in his apartment uninvited. Deciding that leaving the sleeping three year old in the hall was more dangerous than taking him inside with him, Heero quietly opened the door to his apartment. He set his keys down on the small table just inside the door, trading them for the gun at his back. With the safety off and a round chambered, he crept into the living room. Walking wide around the sofa, he trained his gun on the dark head of hair he saw resting on the arm of the sofa.

"She's pretty," Kitten whispered, raising his head just enough to get a good look at their guest and Heero had to agree.

Her skin was pale and glowing in the fluorescent lighting that seeped in through the shuttered blinds. Her dark red hair lay in haphazard curls around her face, setting off the splattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. She was dressed in a blue men's dress shirt that showed of the perfection of her arms and legs. In that moment, they were the most beautiful thing Heero had ever seen.

He holstered his weapon, carefully bending over the sleeping woman to touch his hand to hers and breathed, "Lucy."

###

Thanks to darksadisticangel who reminded me of Heero's cactus which led to the creation of that scene.


	26. TwentyFive

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

Lucy Gemmell, the youngest and most vibrant member of Heero's team. The agent who managed to piece together the connection between Dr. M and his victims giving them the name Gabriel Murai. The woman who'd taken a vial of concentrated octopus DNA to chest.

Heero remembered that horrid day vividly, the feel of her legs under his hands as they turned into squirming wet tentacles. He remembered the sight of black ink shooting from her mouth as she gasped and coughed for air. He remembered the pained screams she gave as her body rebelled against her, an extra heart growing inside her chest.

She woke to the sound of his voice pleased to see him though confused as to how she'd ended up in his apartment. She couldn't remember much of what happened between falling asleep at the clinic with her appendages as long groping tentacles and waking up on his sofa. Looking down to see her own arms and legs again quickly evaporated any worries she had about her kidnapping. Eager to use her legs, she quickly stood and would have fallen to the ground had Heero not caught her. It was to be expected, she'd been without legs and the use of them for almost two weeks. It would take time for her to readjust.

Heero spent all of twenty minutes with Lucy, holding her as she cried tears of happiness and relief before pandemonium descended on his apartment.

An anonymous call had been placed at a payphone two blocks from Heero's apartment alerting Preventors to Lucy's position.

It was soon after that the Preventors came, along with Dr. Anderson and nurses to examine Lucy then haul her away. The agents stayed behind to fingerprint his apartment and interview the neighbors to find out exactly how Duo and Gervais managed to bring the unconscious woman into the complex undetected.

No one had any answers and as Heero had an alibi for himself, with the two agents who followed him for the day corroborating his story, there was nothing else for the agents to do but leave. It wasn't long after that, however, that the phone calls came pouring in with Weber, Price and Trowa wanting to know about Lucy's condition.

Heero and Kitten didn't manage to fall asleep until almost two o'clock the next morning and they woke nearly an hour later from Kitten's nightmare. A disturbing dream for Kitten, watching Mr. Heero fall out of a building and go splat. Not an unfamiliar occurrence for Heero; he lost count of all the times he jumped out of buildings and hit the ground with an impressive force.

Getting less than six hours of sleep did not put either of them in a good mood and they rose to start the day with Kitten as the worse of the two. The little boy didn't want to take a bath or pick out an outfit or eat breakfast. That was until Heero told him that he would be spending the entire day with Trowa. After that he was much easier to manage and talked excitedly about the ring he had for Trowa.

It was small gold ring with a large blue jewel on top housed in a clear plastic capsule with a dark blue top. The perfect engagement ring which Dorothy paid a quarter for in a gumball machine at the hospital. Heero couldn't wait to see Trowa's face when Kitten showed it to him.

With Kitten's prompting, he opened the front door, catching Trowa in mid-knock with Hilde standing beside him. Trowa was dressed in his Preventors uniform, the dark green and blue suit looking good on his frame. What Hilde wore however made Heero blush and look away.

It wasn't that her outfit was vulgar or inappropriate; just that it showed a lot of skin and Hilde was a shapely and well-endowed woman; Heero was forced to admit that he might have a thing for cats. She wore short shorts, white with pressed cuffs that left her long legs exposed with her navy tail wrapped around her waist like a furry belt. Her shirt was a wife beater that stretched across her ample chest and made the navy bra worn underneath it visible. She wore wide suspenders with the outfit for show rather than function and white low top sneakers with navy shoestrings to match her hair. Heero felt out of place beside her with his baggy cargo shorts, black tee and sneakers.

"You think this is bad, you should see me when I let my tail down. Trowa almost had a nose-bleed."

"I wasn't expecting her to come to the door like that," Trowa said stepping into the apartment. He picked Kitten up where he stood just inside the door, calmly accepting Kitten's excited hug and kiss.

"Wow," Hilde said staring at Kitten. "I know he's a clone, but wow. He looks just like Duo."

"That's my daddy."

"I know. I met your daddy before. We used to be good friends."

"Really? What's your name?"

"Hilde."

"Miss Hilde how come you can show your ears and I hafta wear this hat?"

"We talked about that Kitten," Heero said, sighing. Three years old and he was already a rebellious teenager.

"You have to wear your hat 'cause you're so cute. All the old ladies will snatch you up and try to keep you for themselves," Hilde teased, leaning against Trowa, her hands braced on the arm he held Kitten with.

"But you're cute too."

"Really?"

Kitten nodded.

"As cute as Trowa?" she asked.

Kitten blushed covering his face with his hands. He shook his head and said, "Mr. Trowa's really cute and he smells good."

"He does smell good," Hilde said, giving Trowa a sniff. Heero watched as a blush began to form on Trowa's cheeks. Knowing that his friend was becoming embarrassed by the attention, he made a show of sniffing his shirt.

"I must smell terrible and be very ugly. No one ever compliments me."

"You're not ugly Mr. Heero! My daddy says you're a sexy beast."

Hilde laughed, "And he's right. Now we've got a lot to do today. Heero and I will leave first; then Trowa you and Kitten can lock up and head out after us."

"Where are we going first?" Heero asked.

"To the movies."

There were fourteen major movie theaters on L1 and Hilde was determined to visit everyone until they found a lead. Sneaking in and out of movies alluding both the police and security guards with Hilde was actually fun. He found himself laughing at Hilde's running commentary on how incompetent most of the men in uniform were and enjoying her company overall.

The plan was to find Splicers who were living underground and on the lam or high school students who were skipping class and would know where to look. They caught a break at the eighth theater they visited, running out of the exit door laughing as an overweight officer chased them. Outside the doors they stumbled into three teenagers, all male wearing dark hoodies and jeans sharing a smoke behind the theater.

They stopped mid chatter as they saw Hilde, jaws dropping as she unfurled her tail to wave slowly behind her.

"Hey," Hilde called to them.

"Hey," the tallest of the three answered, "You're pretty bold walking around here with your ears and tail showing like that."

"Yeah," another added. "Cops around here are pretty strict about that."

"Yeah? Me and my boyfriend," she said gesturing over her shoulder to Heero, "just moved to L1. They usually look the other way on L2 as long as you're not causing trouble."

"They don't care one way or another here. If you're spliced, you're going to jail."

"That's if they catch you," the smallest one said with a grin.

"Parker's right," the tallest one said. "You've got to keep a low profile."

"I'm not into that. Pretending like I'm not spliced. It's my body I can do whatever I want."

"I hear ya, but you know how the government is. Always claiming that they know what's best."

"So do you guys go to school here," Parker asked.

"Not yet. We moved to get away from my parents. They think Ro is a bad influence on me."

"That's your name? Ro?"

Heero nodded. His job was to play the quiet but jealous boyfriend while Hilde was the flirty, vivacious Splicer.

"Well, I'm Henry. This Toby," Henry gestured to the middle boy who waved in greeting,

"And this is Parker."

"I'm Hilde. So are you guys spliced?"

"Yeah," Henry said. He looked around them nervously before pulling his hood down. His eyes, once Heero could see them were pale green and yellow. His hair was dark gold just a shade away from brown with shaved close with several rings of black throughout. When he spoke again Heero saw that his canines were sharp and pointed. "Leopard."

"Ah, you're ears are round," Hilde cooed moving close enough to reach out and touch the lightly furred ears on the side of his head.

"I'm a ram," Toby said eagerly, throwing back his hood, showing Hilde the curving horns that grew from his skull, framing his ears.

"Oh wow," Hilde said giving him the attention he wanted as she ran an appreciating finger along his horn. "What about you?"

She turned to parker and Henry and Toby laughed at their friend poking and pushing him until he finally dropped his hood. His skin was snow white, his eyes a pale pink and growing from the top of his head were pure white feathers.

"Are you a swan?" Hilde asked, obviously more familiar with animals than he was.

"Yes."

"Oh my God, that's so cute!" Hilde yelled throwing herself at Parker. She wrapped her arms around his head burying his face in her chest making the other two boys look on in jealousy. Parker on the other hand happily accepted her hug wrapping his arms around her waist holding her close.

"Hilde," Heero said with a warning growl and Hilde pulled away laughing.

"Sorry. I have a thing for swans."

"You guys should come to the hangout tonight," Parker said.

"Yeah," Henry agreed, "Well, you can come Hilde. They won't let any Normals in."

Heero didn't often hear anyone called Normals. It was usually the more hardcore Splicers, the ones who'd dedicated themselves to splicing as a lifestyle that called anyone else Normal. If there was a place that didn't accept anyone who wasn't spliced then they were on the right track.

"What's the hangout?" Hilde asked.

"You wouldn't know about it since you're new in town but it's this old warehouse off Coconut Street where a bunch of Splicers get together to hangout. Some of those guys even live there."

"Cool. What time do you guys usually go?"

"Around nine. That's when it's open to everybody but like I said that won't let your boyfriend in if he's not spliced."

"Oh, it's okay. Ro's spliced where it matters." She leaned in to the three boys whispering quietly where Heero couldn't hear what was said, but by the way all their eyes widened and dropped to his crotch he knew it wasn't good.

###

With a solid lead in hand and a time and place to meet, Heero and Hilde went back to headquarters. Hilde went to confirm the information the boys had given them as well as to set up surveillance on the building. A team would need to be prepped and in place to arrest all of the Splicers in the building as well. Heero used that time to visit Kitten in the lab.

He'd barely stepped through the door when Trowa and a lab worker approached him.

"He has sonar," Trowa said and the man beside him glared up at him.

"It's called echolocation. One of the many abilities he inherited from his spliced DNA."

"And you are?" Heero asked.

"Dr. Newell. I'm in charge of running the tests. I understand that you are Mr. Yuy and Kitten's legal guardian?"

"Yes."

"Well then I can be candid with you as Mr. Barton here refuses to let me do my job."

Already not liking the man Heero turned to Trowa, "What is he trying to do?"

"He wants to test if Kitten has gills."

"You're the lab tech that wants to drown a three year old?"

"I am not a lab tech but I do think it is a valid test suggested by one of the technicians. Kitten will not be in any danger."

"No. Tell me about the sonar."

"Echolocation," Newell said put out that he couldn't appeal to Heero. "Just like a bat, he uses sound to see things. In his case through two way mirrors. As I understand from Agent Price's recollection, he sang his answers to you through the mirror."

"Yes, that's true."

"I don't believe he needs to sing, but that it's easier for him to use the ability that way. So far he's been able to 'see' through mirrors, wood and steel plated walls. There are still more tests that can be run on this ability alone."

"What else have you learned?"

"That Kitten likes to be bribed," Trowa said.

"Well, yes, that is true. He was very uncooperative at first but once we offered him treats he was much more manageable."

"I thought you were going to keep an eye on things?" He asked looking up at Trowa.

"I'm not the one who offered him cookies. That was Dr. Newell."

"He wouldn't stop asking why. Over and over again. I am not used to dealing with children and I improvised."

"I suggest you follow through with your promises, Doctor."

"I can't very well buy him a motorcycle. He's only three."

Confused Heero looked to Trowa. "It's a long story."

"Mr. Yuy, I would very much appreciate it if you would take the time to review the tests that Mr. Barton has deemed invasive and give your opinion on them."

"Whatever tests Agent Barton declined, I will decline on as well, Doctor."

"Mr. Yuy! These are very important tests and you cannot overlook the merits of them-"

"Can I talk to you alone?" Trowa asked, tuning Newell out as Heero did.

"Sure."

They left the lab and found an empty lounge where Trowa closed and locked the door behind them. Heero watched him become anxious, fidgeting with his tie before he crossed the space between them. Heero was surprised when Trowa bent down enveloping him in a hug. He was not used to receiving hugs from male friends, even less so from Trowa who at times avoided touch. He awkwardly patted Trowa's back as the man continued to hold him, unsure of what else to do.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. It should be nothing, but…" Trowa trailed off as he pulled away. He reached awkwardly into the collar of his shirt pulling on the chain around his neck. He gingerly touched the cross around his neck and the gold ring that now hung from the chain. Trowa didn't often wear his cross. Besides scars, it was the only thing he had left from his time as child growing up among a band of mercenaries. The look on his face was pained and Heero could do nothing but stand quietly and give the man time to talk.

"I told him that I was too old for him. That by the time he was my age, I'd be an old man."

Heero knew who "he" was with out any prompting from Trowa. Kitten. He made an effort to warn Trowa that the little boy wanted to marry him but it seemed that he hadn't anticipated how serious Kitten was about it. "He said he'd love me anyway."

Trowa's hand dropped away from the ring even as he gave a wane smile. Heero could imagine how those words both pleased and hurt him. Trowa never dated or expressed wanting to and it wasn't until recently that Heero knew why. Trowa was managing his agoraphobia but he wasn't conquering it. He was still too afraid of embarrassing himself in front of some else to that close to anyone.

It came to him like an epiphany then, why Duo thought that Trowa didn't like him. Trowa wasn't embarrassed of Duo he was embarrassed of himself. Duo was the type of man to laugh first and ask for forgiveness second and Trowa knew that. Every time the two were together Heero could imagine the stress it caused Trowa, wanting to laugh and joke with Duo but being afraid to.

"I don't know what to say. Eventually he'll move on to someone else."

"I doubt it."

"Relena is his girlfriend. He's already cheating on you," Heero joked lamely but it made Trowa shake his head with a chuckle.

"He'd probably say I could have a girlfriend, too."

"Then you should ask Flaherty."

"Famke?" Trowa asked and Heero thought it telling that he called the agent by her first name.

"Yes. She likes you."

"She does?"

"You haven't noticed that she fluffs up every time you're around? I think the only reason she's been around so much is to get a chance to see you."

Trowa smiled, considering. "Maybe."

"Will you be alright?" Heero asked forgoing jokes about role-playing and groping.

"Yes. It just hurt and felt good to hear him say that."

"I understand. I need to catch up with Hilde, but keep me informed and don't let Newell stuff Kitten full of candy and cookies."

"I'll try but it really was the only way we could get him to cooperate."

"But a motorcycle?"

"He's very good at negotiating."

_After Colony 200_

Two wars and four years of peace all culminated into one Yule ball that gave dignitaries, politicians, socialites and war veterans an excuse to rub elbows and get drunk together. This was Heero's third party in less than a week, this particular one being hosted by the governor of L1. Heero didn't know the man personally, but he could say that he knew how to spend his money. His home was lavishly decorated for the event and where most balls left Heero feeling underdressed and out of place he felt at home amongst the seven foot tall Christmas trees, fine china, and candlelight.

The same could not be said for Duo.

"Shit. Shit!" Heero watched the broken hair tie give a sad bounce as Duo threw it at the floor. Hunched over, his elbows pressed into his knees, Duo held the end of his braid in one hand while the other rubbed at his tired and pale face.

"What happened?" Heero asked stuffing the band into his pocket to dispose of later.

"I caught the damn thing on something and I didn't bring an extra one with me. I'm not walking around here with my hair loose so the shit can catch on fire."

Heero was happy that they were in a side hall away from the other guests. He doubted many of them would have approved of Duo's language at the moment.

"I'll find something." He told Duo, walking away from the frustrated man. Duo didn't look good at all tonight and Heero worried for him. Not only was his face pale, his eyes were bloodshot with dark circles lining them. His hands shook, a fine but noticeable tremor that, added to Duo's sudden temper, didn't sit right with Heero.

He focused on finding a replacement hair tie first. Once Duo's hair was safe from fire and his anger abated Heero could figure out what else was bothering his friend. Finding a rubber band in the middle of a holiday party was not easy however. It wasn't as if the governor kept spare ties in a bowl for guests which forced Heero to improvise. Several gift-wrapped boxes were laid around the ground floor of the house as decoration and Heero commandeered one for himself, stealing the expensive silk ribbon for Duo.

"Red?" Duo questioned when he returned.

"No one wraps presents in black ribbons. Except you."

"Not everyone can have style," he said but the joke fell flat. He held his braid out with both hands for Heero to tie the ribbon around.

"You look tired. When was the last time you slept?"

"A few days. Nightmares. I always get them this time of year. Thinking about what would have happen if we didn't win, you know."

"I know." He had many dreams like that himself. "Have you eaten anything?"

"You know, a swanky party like this, you'd think they'd serve dinner or at least some appetizers. Or at least that's what I thought. I haven't eaten thing all day thinking they'd spoil me."

Heero would have laughed if not for the way Duo flopped back in the chair despondent. Lately Duo seemed quick to anger and moodiness, staying home alone avoiding those around him, namely Heero. There wasn't much that Heero could do for Duo with the new branch Director taking an interest in him. Said interest meant harder and more trying cases being left on his desk, leaving Heero little time for anything else. Had it been up to him he would be at home asleep but Director Yates had made attendance mandatory, but there were ways around that.

"Do you want to get out of here?" he asked watching Duo instantly perk up with attention. "We've shown our faces and no one will miss us. I'll even buy you dinner."

"Sure," Duo said with a genuine smile on his face. He heaved himself out of his seat following Heero down the hall. The sounds of the lively party echoed through the walls around them while Heero thought of going home and to bed after seeing Duo well off.

They were approaching the turn into the main hall that would lead them to the coatroom and the exit when Dorothy appeared around the bend. Her dress shimmered in the hall's light, drawing the eye, making her the center of attention as she'd planned when she'd chosen the off the shoulder number.

"Heero, there you are. You owe me a dance," she grabbed his arm pulling him towards the ballroom. "I should have known the two of you would try to sneak off together. Duo, there are a dozen women in there dying for the chance to dance with you. You shouldn't disappoint them."

"I'll pass."

"One dance," Heero said more to Duo than to Dorothy looking at his friend over his shoulder as Dorothy dragged him away leaving Duo alone in the hall. "One."

But one turned into two, then three, and then four, until he'd danced with every available girl including the governor's six year old daughter. When he finally managed to pull away he found the hall empty of Duo and the coatroom empty of his coat.

He left the mansion soon after that feeling like a complete heel. It wasn't his intention to leave Duo stranded and waiting but he couldn't possibly turn down Relena, the Director's wife, the governor's wife or any of the other women who'd wanted to dance with him. He was always playing catch up with Duo. Constantly making up for canceling on him, for forgetting their plans. Even now he stood outside of Duo's door trying to think of the best way to explain what happened.

He let himself in with the spare key Duo gave him, finding Duo in bed. He was on his side his back to Heero, with his arm folded up and over his eyes. Heero crawled onto the bed leaning against Duo's back.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to leave you like that."

"It's cool. I know who's more important to you."

"You are."

Duo snorted. "Yeah, right."

"You are," Heero said with a hint of anger in his voice. "My job depends on most of those people. I couldn't tell them no without offending them."

"Yeah, I got it."

"Duo," he sighed lowering his head onto Duo's arm.

"It's cool. I understand. Can't go pissing off the boss's wife."

Heero sighed again rubbing his hand over Duo's shoulder. "Did you eat?"

"I got something on the way back."

"That's good."

"You staying over?"

"I can't. I have an early morning tomorrow."

"Oh."

"I can stay for a little while," he said softly shifting until he lay curled behind Duo. He pressed his forehead to the back of Duo's neck, rubbing his hand over Duo's back. "I am sorry about tonight."

"I told you it's cool."

"I know but it keeps happening and I don't want it to."

"I know you don't mean to ditch me Heero. You're busy. You've got a big important job. I get it."

Heero sighed for a third time levering himself up to lean over Duo. He needed to go home and sleep and there wasn't much more he could say or do for Duo tonight. He pressed his face against the side of Duo's and thought about kissing his cheek. He thought about telling Duo how he felt and that he would do whatever it took to make up for tonight. Instead he settled for a tight squeeze telling Duo that he would see him later.

He looked back in at Duo where he lay curled in his bed his arm still covering his eyes, promising to himself that he would set things right. He didn't know then that it would be one of the last times that he saw Duo.

_After Colony 204_

Seeing Trowa's cross made Heero think of Duo's, and once he left headquarters, he headed home with Hilde in tow to the small keepsake box he kept in his closet. Inside were small miscellaneous items he managed to pilfer from Duo's apartment before it was put away in storage. In his hand he held Duo's cross and the red silk ribbon both found together on Duo's nightstand. The ribbon was still wound around itself, tied in the same bow from that night. Duo must have slipped it off the end of his braid, Heero thought, running his thumb over the soft fabric. The cross, which Duo never went anywhere without, was beat-up and twisted, the end slightly melted. It was the cross that had assured Heero of foul play when Duo went missing. Duo wouldn't leave it behind unless he was forced to or so he'd thought. Since Duo's return, he hadn't asked for it once.

"Is that his stuff," Hilde asked from the doorway, nodding towards the box.

"Yes."

"May I?"

At Heero's nod and outstretched and she came into the room, delicately taking the cross in her hands as she sat beside him. Heero placed the ribbon back in the box alongside Duo's gun, a few knives and pieces of scrap metal from Deathscythe.

"I blame myself sometimes," Hilde said looking intently at Duo's cross. "I didn't have time for him. I didn't want to have time for him.

"After the yard fell, he kept calling me. Sometimes he wanted to talk about starting a new business. Sometimes he wanted to reminisce about the yard. Then he'd want to make plans to hang-out and I was settled into a new life and I didn't have time to sit on the phone with him for hours on end.

"I read the file. About him being depressed and I keep thinking it's my fault. If I would have spent a little time with him instead of ignoring his calls he wouldn't have run off."

"You can't blame yourself. You can't be mad at yourself for putting you first."

"You were in the same position. Constantly busy with work and you still made time for him."

"Barely. I spent more time making up for missing dates with him than being with him."

"But you tried. I got tired of being his only life-line." She let her hand drop into her lap and they sat quietly for moment before she spoke again. "Did you see the tape?"

"What tape?"

"Of what happened in the parking garage."

"No. Why?"

"I have a copy of it and I think you should watch it."

"I don't know what it will prove."

"Maybe nothing but…just watch it."

He let her set up his laptop to play the disc she pulled from her pocket and together they sat at his table. Heero watched himself on screen, wondering how he could have forgotten that he deliberately parked near the security cameras. He stood facing his car with Duo just behind him. His posture so open and vulnerable, showing just how much he'd trusted Duo. Duo moved closer and Heero tensed watching as the tall man leaned into him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. The camera, pointing at the back of the car, showed them in profile and Heero couldn't read Duo's lips but the words played through his mind just the same.

"_Heero, you'll take care of Kitten won't you?"_

As Duo spoke his free hand reached into his back pocket pulling the hidden syringe free or what Heero had assumed was a syringe. What Duo held was an auto injector, as small and thin as an ink pen with a spring loaded needle hidden inside. Duo pressed the tip against his side and in the present, Heero went rigid, his side tingling with phantom pain as he watched his digital image jerk. Heero could barely make out Duo's hand flexing, putting pressure on the pen shooting the needle forward, deep into his side. He looked to his own face, the fear, disbelief, shock, and anger there palpable.

He looked away from the screen to find Hilde staring at him sadly. "There's more."

Back on the screen, Duo gently lowered him to the ground, emptying his pocket of the tether, tucking it into his limp hand. Duo brushed his fingers over his hair, something Heero didn't remember, carefully stepping over his body walking towards the camera. He stopped looking back at Heero's unconscious and prone body then back to the camera, staring directly into the lens.

"_I'm sorry, Heero."_

It hurt seeing that. A horrible ache inside his chest that made it hard to breathe. He rose from the table leaving a worried Hilde behind to retreat into the bathroom where he sat with the lights off. He knew why Duo had done it. To protect him and Kitten, to leave them innocent of the crime he was about to commit. He did it to have the chance to save the lives of Murai's victims. A restored Lucy was proof to that but it still hurt. There were so many things he didn't know, so many things he didn't understand and until Duo came clean he wasn't sure what to do or how to feel.

Could he forgive Duo? Could he put all the misdirection and lies behind him? Could they actually be together?

The answer was…he didn't know.

###

An anonymous call came in an hour later and the responding agents found Etienne Lindman. From the report, the once spliced fox was found sleeping underneath a tree in a park only a few blocks from headquarters. Again there were no witnesses and once Agent Lindman woke he couldn't explain how he'd gotten from the clinic and to the park. It seemed where Murai and Nellie attacked Preventors' agents indiscriminately; Gervais and Duo were delivering them healthy and whole in unexpected places.

###

The hang-out was in an old warehouse that had yet to be reconditioned into something else. Buildings didn't stay abandoned or unused for very long on colonies with space being at a premium. It would only be a matter of weeks before the building was purchased and redeveloped and the teens partying inside were forced to relocate.

He could hear the music pounding through the walls before they were even ten feet away from the door and Heero had to wonder why they hadn't been shut down yet. At Hilde's knock the heavy steel door swung open revealing a tall, dark-skinned man with horns growing from his forehead guarding the door. He took one look at Hilde and nodded her through but put a bracing hand on Heero's chest as he tried to follow.

"No Normals," he said in a gruff voice.

Hilde was quick to press her advantage and her chest against the man, distracting him. She rose, leaning in to whisper in his ear. Like the boys from that morning, the guard's eyes widened then dropped to Heero's crotch. He gave him a considering look before letting him through.

"What did you tell him?" He asked when they were clear.

"That you're hung like a horse," she said grinning over her shoulder. "Literally."

"Hilde!"

"What? As far as I know you are. It's always the little guys you have monster cocks."

He groaned and shook his head. That was more information than he wanted to know.

"I did not need to hear that," came Weber's voice in Heero's com-link. Two dozen agents were stationed around the warehouse to capture and subdue all the Splicers within once they gathered any information on Murai or Nellie's location. Weber and Price were helping to coordinate the teams while Trowa stayed behind with Kitten.

Laughing, Hilde took Heero's hand leading him through the short hall and up a flight of stairs. The door beyond led them to the main room where an assortment of furniture was arranged. Sofas, love seats and bean bag chairs occupied most of the space with dozens of teens and young adults scattered about. Very few people were dancing and the few that were begged a second look at. A girl covered completely in blue iridescent scales flowed, dancing slowly and sensually to the beat of the music.

"Eyes back in your head, Ro," Hilde said giving his forehead a glancing knock.

"How have we not found these people?" Heero wondered aloud. Over half the room had obvious and blatant splicing that would have had them locked away in jail in no time at all. A man with rhinoceros horns growing from the middle of his grey and leathered face brushed past Heero and he didn't see him going out into public and not causing a stir.

"They don't go outside," Hilde said softly. "Ever."

Heero couldn't imagine his entire existence consisting of living in a three story warehouse. Never going outside to the store, the movies, to a nice restaurant because of a voluntary choice such as Splicing. It didn't seem worth it to him to hide for the sake of horns on his head.

"Hey it's them," a voice to their left called. He and Hilde looked up at the same time to find Toby and Parker heading their way.

"You guys find the place okay?" Toby asked.

"Yeah, but the guy at the door didn't want to let Ro in at first. He had to whip it out to prove he was spliced."

"Oh, gross man. I wouldn't want see another dude's junk," Parker said with a disgusted look.

"I would," said a girl Heero didn't know. She wore a black leather skirt and a matching halter top that left her stomach bare except for a vibrant red mark. She saddled up to his side, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Her eyes were a bright red and the leering smile she gave let him see that her teeth were razor sharp. A quick glance down showed that the red mark on her belly was in the shape of an hourglass.

A black widow spider. Heero was suddenly very uncomfortable.

"No one gets to see his junk but me," Hilde said. "Well…no one else," she amended with a laugh.

The black widow pouted but left him alone and relieved. Heero did not like spiders.

They mingled after that with Toby and Parker as their guide. The hang-out was a Splicer haven and self-contained home for those looking to escape a life of persecution by Normals. Or so they said. Most of them were rebellious teens looking to stand out and be different. It didn't matter that they put their lives in jeopardy to do it.

Heero didn't often talk to people his own age, much less those who didn't have a similar background to him. A similar background meant having fought in the war, living holed up in decrepit safe houses, trying to finish a mission while bleeding to death. None of the Splicers there understood him and he couldn't relate to them. Heero related Splicing to getting a tattoo. An unnecessary and expensive body modification that would be an eyesore in a few years. Heero couldn't picture anyone wanted zebra stripes when they were ninety years old.

He was nursing a flat cup of beer as he moved around the room, listening in on different conversations meeting different Splicers. At several points Hilde came to him relaying information, draping her arms around his shoulders whispering huskily in his ear. He tried not to think about the fact that every time she did this her breasts rubbed against him or wonder if it was intentional.

Eventually he sat, letting the Splicers come to him. It wasn't long before several approached him taking seats around him. Henry and Toby were amongst the few as well as three young girls. A cat named Barb, a dog named Liz, and koala named Chanel and their attention was focused on his crotch.

"So it's really true?" Liz asked. "You're really spliced with a horse?"

"Yes." He took of his beer to keep from laughing at the absurdity.

"Did you have a small dick before? What's it called when it's the size of your pinky?" This from Chanel.

"Jesus, can it be that small?"

"Oh yeah, I've seen pictures. So, was it?"

"No."

"Well how big was it?"

"Forget that. I want to know how big it is now."

"Well," Hilde said coming to his rescue, "If he told you that, I'd have to kill you."

She made a show of putting her hands on his knees, flicking her tail back and forth, letting it brush over his chest before she sat in his lap. She leaned back grabbing his chin as she brought her mouth down on his. He stayed relaxed letting his eyes fall shut, his lips parting as she kissed him.

It was planned ahead of time. He and Hilde had decided that they would play their roles to the fullest and wouldn't be squeamish about it. Saying that he would be willing to kiss Hilde with an audience was different in practice. It wasn't that the kiss was bad only that he felt nothing. There was no rush of emotion or passion as her tongue moved teasingly in and out of his mouth. When she pulled away, smiling seductively at him, he forced himself to smile.

"Bathroom," he whispered leaning forward and she levered herself up letting him slip away as the girls catcalled behind him.

He tried to shake the uncomfortable feeling of unease that lingered over him as he pretended to search for the bathroom. Opening random doors led him to an unsettling discover and he made a mental note to bring up charges against the black widow for seducing an underage lamb.

Faintly, he could hear Hilde's voice in his com-link and wondered if kissing him had been awkward for her too. He was equally attracted to men and women, but kissing her left him numb. He tried not to think about it, focusing instead on the job at hand. Later, he wonder about what it meant when a beautiful woman sat his lap, kissed him breathless and he couldn't feel even a twinge of arousal.

The next two rooms were empty but confirmed for Heero that several people did indeed live in the old warehouse. The third led him to what he would have at one time thought his very own playroom. The room was the size of large closet and would have been used as a utility closet. It was filled with computer equipment and flat screens hung all over the walls. He did not have to fake excitement or enthusiasm as he stepped into the inside looking around in awe. The teenage boy who sat in the lone chair turned to him with full black, lidless eyes.

"Who are you?" he asked and Heero wondered if his skin was supposed to be pale yellow or if he was jaundiced with liver failure.

"Ro."

"You're not spliced."

Deciding to stick with Hilde's story he pointed to his own crotch and said, "Horse."

"What?"

"Horse."

"Oh. Oh! That's kinda cool," the teen said, nodding in approval.

"No," Heero said closing the door behind him, "This is cool. I'd kill to have half the stuff you have in here."

He wouldn't necessarily kill to have the equipment that the boy had but he could be persuaded to break a few laws. The devices in the room were top of the line, some of which Heero had never seen before. His fingers itched to touch and play with the many keyboards laid out on the desks before him, thoughts of hacking into government databases untraced running through his mind.

"Yeah," the boy said looking around his sanctuary, pleased, "It took me awhile to get all of this."

"What are you using it for?"

"A little bit of everything. I pretty much take care of everyone here and make sure that nobody busts us."

"Yeah?" Heero ran his hands along the corner of one of the monitors as he circled around the boy moving deeper into the room.

"Yeah, I reroute the nine-one-one calls from the neighbors so the police don't even know we're out here."

Well, Heero thought, that explains how we didn't know about this place.

"That's impressive," Heero said and meant it, wondering why a guy with his talent wasn't somewhere working where his skills could be put to better use. "What's your name?"

"Kirk, but everyone calls me Honey."

"I think I'd stick to Kirk."

"It's 'cause I'm a bee. Or at least spliced with one."

He lifted his shirt showing Heero the thick black bands that wrapped around his stomach.

"You don't have a stinger, do you?"

"No, though that would be cool. The guy who did my splicing said it's pretty hard to do insects but he was happy that managed to do it with me."

"You're the second person I've seen spliced with an insect. The first being the black widow out there."

"She's creepy, right? That girl freaks me out."

"Me, too. So who did your splicing?" He asked nonchalantly as he looked around the room though his attention was on Honey.

"This guy called M. Dr. M."

"What?" Heero snapped, spinning to face Honey.

"Yeah, it's all ominous and all that but he was pretty cool and…"

"Honey Bee," a voice sang as the door to the room opened. Madelyn, the girl who wanted Murai to give her little bat wings and had witnessed Lucy's painful splicing, stood in the doorway waving to Honey. She looked up noticing Heero and her eyes widened in fear.

"It's you," she breathed. She backed out the doorway slowly, as if Heero would leap across the distance to attack her and when she turned her back on him he saw why. Growing from her back were small leather wings. "The Preventors are here!"

"Shit," Heero cursed under his breath, grabbing hold of Honey's turtleneck before he too could bolt from the room screaming. "Weber, we've been made. Move in."

"I'm on it, Boss."

"Preventors? You're not really spliced. You lied." Honey looked up at him accusingly as if not being spliced were the worst possible sin.

"I did. Now tell me, how long ago were you spliced?"

"Dr. M isn't a bad guy. All that shit on the news is fake. You guys put that out there to stop him from splicing."

"You think I care about you wanting to be a bee? I don't care about people wanting to be spliced. It's your body do what you want but that man is killing people and if we don't get you to the hospital you're going to be next."

"But he said-"

"When were you spliced?"

"About a month ago."

"Shit." Honey was spliced with one of Murai's older formulas which meant that his organs were slowly shutting down on him and his yellow color may very well but due to liver failure. He didn't have much time left before it was too late to stop it. "Are there any others here who were spliced by M?"

"Almost everybody here."

"What?" His hand clenched around Honey's shirt and he pushed down the rush of panic. Over three dozen Splicers were dancing and drinking in all parts of the warehouse, all of them slowly dying.

"He comes around every couple of weeks and does our splicing for free. Nellie's been spliced by him dozens of times and she's not dead."

"Nellie was here?"

"Yeah she lives here. What a minute. You're him. Heero, right? She's been going on and on about you ever since she came back."

"Is she here now?"

"I don't think so. She went out a couple of hours ago."

"Where's her room?"

"Upstairs. Second door on the left."

"Get up," Heero ordered even as he pulled Honey up from the chair, pulling him towards the door. "You need to go to the hospital. You're organs are failing and you will die if you don't let us help you."

He passed Honey over to a nearby agent and set off for the upstairs bedroom. He pulled his gun from the holster in the waistband of his cargos clicking the safety off. The upper floor was dark and quiet though the sounds of agents and Splicers raging against each other traveled through the floors. The door to the second bedroom was closed as he approached it and he pressed his ear to the door listening. Hearing nothing, he took a deep breath steeling himself before he kicked in the door, knocking it flat against the wall.

His first glance gave him nothing but the average teenage girl's room with posters of celebrities on the wall and clothes thrown about. Her bed was nothing more than a mattress on the floor though the sheets on top were neatly made. He scanned the room as he stepped inside seeing no trace of the girl. They'd missed her by just a few hours.

He lowered his arms, turning back to towards the door with intentions of regrouping but stopped short at the sight of the man standing across from him. A bullet to the shoulder and life on the run left Gabriel Murai little worse for wear. He stared at Heero, calm and motionless even as Heero's heart raced in his chest. He turned at the sound of a body dropping heavily to the floor, catching Nellie's menacing grin as arms like steel traps wrapped around him, effectively pinning him in place.

"I didn't know you were spliced," Nellie whispered into his ear.

"He's not," Murai said. "But he will be."

###

Special thanks to *shinigami786 whose fanart helped to inspire the flashback and the keepsake box. Check my profile for the link.


	27. The NEW TwentySix

A/N : Some major revisions have happened in the previous chapters. See my profile () for quick list of changes or reread chapters 10, 16, 20, 22, and 23

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

Heero gasped and sputtered, coming awake at the sudden splash of cold water to his face.

"Wakey, wakey," Nellie sang, her face just inches from his, her voice echoing off the walls. He wasn't familiar with the room but he knew a fall-out shelter when he saw one. There was no bare bulb hanging overhead like in so many bad interrogation/torture scenes, but the ominous feeling remained the same. To his left sat a steel table empty except for a desk lamp and jet injector. The needle-less gun lay prepped with a cylinder of milky, blue liquid that could only be recombinant.

Across from him sat Murai, dressed as if he would be going into work at the veterinary, in pressed slacks, a blue button-down shirt, loafers and a clean white lab coat. With his legs cross and his fingers steepled in his lap, the resemblance to Treize was even stronger. His faithful lieutenant posed just behind his chair at his right-hand side, smiling gallantly. She'd forgone the school uniform for a black halter dress and black high-top canvas sneakers with a white sole. Thin, silver earrings hung from her ears, mingling with the dark strands of her hair. She was no Lady Une, but the insanity and blind devotion were there in spades.

He sat back in the chair, balling his hands into tight fists, "What do you want?"

"Right to the point, then," the older man said with a smile, his blue eyes reflecting his mirth. "Look at you. So tense, ready for the worst. You're a man who knows what it means to suffer." He settled back into his chair watching Heero with a look of fondness. "I like that about you. But let's get to the point, shall we? I want you to bring me Gervais' head."

"Why would I do that?" Heero asked, though he was more concerned as to why Murai cared about Gervais at all.

"Because you want him gone just as much as I."

That was more or less true, but Heero vowed to himself long ago that he would never be used as anyone's assassin. More importantly, he wanted Gervais gone from Duo's life, not the world and the people who truly needed him. "Why do you want him dead?"

"That," he said with a flash of anger in his eyes, "is none of your business. You only need to worry about what will happen if you don't do what I want."

"You'll kill me?"

"That would be counterproductive, don't you think? No, I'll kill the people close to you, the ones you can't live without."

"Hurting the people I care about will only get you killed."

The doctor tossed his head back with a laugh, a happy joyous sound that was disconcerting with the situation at hand. "If it was that easy, you would have killed me by now. Tell me Heero how many people do you think I've killed?"

"At least sixty-six to date."

Murai did a long blink, a smile spreading across his face and a light chuckle escaping his throat. "Sixty-six? Is that it? You must not keep up with missing persons' reports."

Goosebumps ran across his flesh as he could only imagine where Murai was going with this line of conversation. "What do you mean?"

"My numbers are well into the hundreds. Close to three at last count."

"That's impossible," he balked. "We would have known about that number of deaths."

Murai smiled, showing bright white teeth. "Not everyone survives the initial splicing. Some die almost instantly. Like my nephew did."

Nellie sighed softly, "Brandon."

"Then where are the bodies?"

Murai tapped his foot against the steel-plated floor, "I've put many of this colonies fallout shelters to good use."

He looked around the room, barely able to envision the number of underground shelters filled with decaying corpses and the fetid stench of death scarcely contained by the double reinforced steel. This man was no Pete McCormack, hiding his evil behind an unassuming façade. This man was evil, killing without feeling or remorse, proudly showing his face to the world.

"Why are you doing this?"

"You are ever the dedicated agent, Heero. I can see the gears turning in your head. Tell me, knowing why I do it, my modus operandi, if you will, what will it prove? What kind of closure could it possibly give you?"

"It will help me stop people like you in the future."

"You're that confident that you'll take me down? Maybe you will, but for now I have the upper hand and I have work for you."

"Killing Gervais. I have no leads to go on; I have no way of finding him."

"Of course you do. You just don't know it yet. For instance, Hilde Schbeiker. She's a goldmine of information just waiting to be hollowed out."

"Uh," Nellie grimaced, pulling a face. "Not that ugly girl."

Murai reached back patting the girl's hands. "I know how much she bothers you, having put her filthy hands all over your Heero."

"Once you're done with her," she said to Murai, "I want to kill her."

"Of course, dear."

"Hilde has nothing to do with this. She isn't connected to Gervais."

"I beg to differ. In fact I think she's working right beside him. How convenient is it that the only person on your team with an alibi for Gervais' escape is fired? That she recommended it to your Director? Yet she seeks you out to help her find me."

"Coincidence."

Murai snorted at that. "They need time to undo my work and they won't get it with you after them. She cut off your resources then worked to distract you from them."

"And this isn't a distraction? You send me after Gervais so I can't come after you?"

"You all but have me, Heero," he said spreading his hands wide. "My most loyal supporter is in love with you. My face is plastered all over the earth sphere with every government agency looking for me. It was only a matter of time before you caught up to me, so we need to move quickly, don't you think? Before I'm shipped away into whatever little cell you think appropriate for me, I want to know that Gervais is dead."

"You don't really think you'll be caught. This is all just a game to you."

"Very perceptive, Heero. I don't think it'll take you long at all to find him. Now," he said with flourish, "I want to know everything Hilde knows about Gervais."

"I've told you already…"

"Yes, yes," the doctor said waving Heero's complaints away, "but what I haven't told you is what I'll do if you don't question her."

"You'll kill someone I care about."

"Hmm, yes, but who? I thought we should start slow and work our way up, don't you think? You'd lose all your motivation if I killed the top prize first. Your mentor, Commander Chase, seems like a good place to start."

"You're playing with people's lives and for what? Because you're jealous that he's better than you?"

"Better than me?" Murai asked coldly, "Yes, I do wish I could cure the world's problems with splicing. I wish I could take a man who's at his limit, trying desperately to keep from burdening others while dying on the inside and use splicing to make him my toy. I'm sure you wish the same. Then it could be you with Duo as a mindless slave and my nephew would still be alive. But they didn't come to us. He didn't come to you, now did he Heero. So tell me, are you jealous because Gervais is better than you?"

With each word Murai spoke, Heero's insides twisted in knots. It was as if Murai were pulling Heero's thoughts deep from within his subconscious and forcing them into the light of day. He was jealous of Gervais. Jealous that a once nameless and faceless man had the key to Duo's happiness whether real or manufactured through brainwashing. He possessed something that Heero did not, something intangible that made Duo choose the older man over Heero time and time again. The words stuck in his craw leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

"You don't know anything about him," he forced through clenched teeth.

"And you didn't answer my question. I want him dead, Heero, or I will kill everyone around you and it won't be by splicing, Heero. I will simply kill them."

"Like Trent dead," Nellie elaborated.

"Yes, like Trent dead. You have until seven tomorrow night to bring me word on what she knows. We'll work our way up from there."

"And what if she doesn't know anything?"

"She will, and like I said, we'll go from there. A new task for you and a new target for me should you fail. I've already decided who's at the top of the list."

"Who?" he asked fearing the worst.

"Who else, Heero? Rhys Dilandau Maxwell, or Kitten, as you like to call him."

He rocked in the chair, pulling against the manacles with all his strength. "Leave him out of this! He hasn't done anything to you. He has nothing to do with any of this."

"You see? I threaten to kill your friends and you don't bat an eye, but him, him you fight for."

"He's just a child."

"And I would hate to hurt him. Nellie," he questioned turning his head towards the girl.

"Hmm? Oh, right!" She dashed away leaving out of the small room's one, visible exit. Murai and Heero sat in silence waiting until the girl returned with a small bundle in her arms.

"No," Heero breathed. There in her arms sleeping, as if peacefully, was Kitten. His head rested against her shoulder, his small body curled against her chest. His face was smoothed and calm, his arms limp at his side. He could have been dead for all Heero knew. Kitten was an animated boy both awake and asleep. Even while deep asleep, he fidgeted and moved, whispered and giggled.

"What did you do to him?"

"A light sedative, to keep him under control. Can't have him running away or drawing too much attention, now can I?" The smug grin sobered into something more somber and soft. "I don't want to hurt him, Heero. He doesn't deserve it, but I'll do what it takes to get what I want."

"I'll bring you Gervais, just let him go."

"He's our leverage, our insurance that you won't fail. Because you won't fail him, will you Heero?"

Heero scowled, huffing through his nose, "No."

"Good. We'll meet here tomorrow night. And it goes without saying that I want you alone. No Preventors. If I get so much as a hint of blue and green when we meet," he paused lifting his arm to take Kitten's hand in his. He looked pointedly at Heero as he spoke, "I will break him. One piece at a time."

"Don't," Heero warned his eyes locked on Kitten, willing the boy to move, to fidget, to give any sign that he was alright if not unharmed. Murai knew this game all too well. Threatening Heero's life would do him no good and even as he threatened Chase's life Heero thought of ways around the situation, but he couldn't risk Kitten. He could do nothing less than bring Murai the doctor's head if it meant keeping Kitten safe. Just the thought alone pained him. That he could so easily choose one life over another, but he couldn't endanger Kitten more than he already had. The boy was the center of his life now and Heero couldn't bear to think about a life without him.

"Any questions?" Murai paused, but Heero said nothing. "Good, let's leave Heero to his work, then, shall we, Nellie?"

He rose from his chair following Nellie to the door. Heero darted a quick glance to the injector left abandoned on the table with no small amount of relief filling his chest. His eyes went back to Murai, as the man paused turning back to him with an arrogant smile firmly in place dashing what little hope he'd managed to muster.

"I almost forgot." He glided to the table, lifting the forgotten injector into his hands. The small, needle-less injector too closely resembled a gun for Heero's liking and he tensed, rearing back as far as the chair would allow as Murai approached him.

"Don't."

"Now, now, don't fidget. You don't want to go through this twice." He grabbed his jaw, forcing his head up and to the side leaving his neck stretched long and clean.

"Stop," he said realizing with no small amount of fear that he did not want to be spliced. There was too much death and suffering that went along with the two ounces of colorful liquid and he didn't want to be anything other than what he was. He looked to Nellie where she watched. He let her see his fear as he tried to fight off Murai. Of anyone, she could understand what it meant to forced, to have his body taken against his will.

"Don't do this. I'll bring you Gervais," he argued struggling against Murai's strong grip. He pulled against the manacles with all of his strength, but the angle was awkward and he only managed to bleed himself against the metal.

"And I want to help you. This will help get rid of that iron control of yours."

"No!" The last thing he wanted was to lose control like the Gilliam twins, the interns and other Preventors who Murai spliced. The way they lost control of themselves snapping and biting at everyone in sight like wild animals, that couldn't be him. He knew that where the others failed to cause serious harm, he would succeed. He would be danger to everyone around him, everyone he cared for. He fought harder, jerking his head out of Murai's grasp.

"Gabby," Nellie said hesitantly, stepping close to Murai.

Murai turned to her, pausing, "I know. It's hard for you to see me hurt him, but this is for the best."

Her face calmed and she nodded for him to continue. "Just…hurry."

With a nod, Murai grabbed him again, taking his entire jaw into his hand to keep him still. His heart raced, pounding loudly in his ears as he watched the injector approach from the corner of his eye. He fought not to panic, to stay conscious as Murai pressed the tip against his neck. His pulse beat against the gun, stilling for a split second as the doctor pulled the trigger shooting the recombinant through his skin. At first, the pain was a sharp sting of the initial injection but quickly became a burn as the recombinant chased through his veins, seeping into the rest of his body. He gasped, seizing up in his chair to keep from screaming.

The pain spread through Heero, as if razor blades traveled along his blood stream scouring him from the inside. Moving up through his cheek, then through his temple, the milky liquid attacked his brain, shaving away what little sanity he had left. He arched back into the chair screaming as his nerves were shredded apart.

"The first time is always the worse," Murai said.

He whined through his teeth, his body contorting not only from the pain but from the twisting and pulling of his muscles. The wet sound of bones popping reached his ears as he began to convulse, his body tearing itself apart as he fought to hold on. The chair's manacles were the only thing that kept him in place even as they dug into his wrists, bloodying him.

And like that it was over, the pain receding just as quickly as it had marched over him. He collapsed in a boneless heap, trembling and panting. He was soaked in his own sweat, which did little to cool his overheated body. He could feel the comforting darkness of unconsciousness trying to settle in over him but he forced his eyes open watching Murai turn Nellie towards the door. The old man captured his gaze and Heero barely caught his words before passing out.

"Tomorrow."

###

He felt hot and dizzy. His stomach rolled and complained inside him. Splicer fever. He was not a doctor but he knew the signs. It was typically non-fatal; a common side effect after a major splicing as the body adjusted to the change. However, 'typically' meant that some did die from the fever and with Murai as part of the equation, Heero did not have high hopes.

He felt stretched thin, as if his skin and muscles were pulled too tight against his bones. He looked down at himself, afraid to see fur, stripes, or spots covering the skin of his arms but found nothing but his own skin. He stared at his hands transfixed at the way his bones pressed against his skin, wondering if his hands had always been so big. His nails were dark and curved, ending in sharp tips. His feet matched his hands. Long and thin with blackened nails arching upwards to mimic an animals hind leg.

He stood awkwardly on the balls of his feet beneath the open hatch that would lead him back into the warehouse. It was one room removed from the shelter he was held captive in and easily navigated to as if Murai had wanted to make his escape or rescue as simple as possible. Murai, for now, was lost to him deeper in the maze of shelters having hacked into the door's override commands to keep Heero from following. With time and equipment it would be easy to get the doors open but would cost him Kitten's safety if he didn't follow the plan. He would play by Murai's rules long enough to take the man down and save Kitten.

He gripped the closet rung, being careful of his strength. He'd ripped through the manacles with no amount of effort, shredding the arms of the chair in the process. So far he seemed in control of himself and not overly affected by the splicing, but he was wary of joining the voices above him. By the sounds, there were only Preventors agents left inside the building. Could they stop him if he attacked? How many would he kill before they put him down?

_No_, he told himself, _I'm stronger than that._

He made the climb gripping the rungs of the ladder with both fingers and toes. He emerged inside an empty room, cautiously following the sounds of yelling back into the main room where the party was held. He stood back in the shadows, just inside the doorway watching Preventors' agents and police officers mill uncomfortably, waiting for their commanding officers to give them purpose. The sounds of arguing and soft whispers blended into one conversation he struggled to make sense of.

"While your men stand here and gawk, my guys could be searching the tunnels for Yuy. Unless your men actually let Murai waltz out the front door."

"What a bitch."

"Dude, she took your idea again."

"What do you think Doctor M will splice Heero with?"

"Your assistance is unneeded and unwanted, Lieutenant, now get out of my crime scene."

"You have no idea."

"Maybe a wolf?"

"I know."

"I better be getting paid overtime for this."

"Did you hear about Agent Barton?"

"We're never going to get anywhere with the two of them."

"Did I leave the stove on?"

He gripped the doorjamb, squeezing his eyes shut to try to block out all the random whispers and focus. It worked too well as all the talking ceased and the sounds of guns being cocked followed. He opened his eyes to find the room at attention with over a dozen agents and officers with guns pointed at him.

"Come out slowly with your hands up," Denvers ordered, crossing the room.

He let go of the splintered pieces of wood in his hand, dropping them like broken toys to the floor. He berated himself, his mind flashing to incidents in his past. Losing control would only get someone close to him killed and he needed to be in control and focused to save Kitten.

He moved, one pensive step after another, watching as the guns before him wavered and shock came over most of the faces in the room. His heart beat against his ribcage, begging him to put the adrenaline in his veins to good use. Fight or flight, it yelled, because watching like a docile lamb was unacceptable.

"Heero? Is that you?"

It was Hilde who recognized him, wading through the bodies separating them. He stood before her like a giant, his splicing making him over a foot taller than most of the room. She stopped within touching distance of him, her navy ears pressed flat against her head, arms tucked into her chest. He could smell her distress as he watched her fight to come closer to him. He could see it; her body if not her brain knew a dangerous predator was in its presence.

"Jesus, Yuy," Denvers said, her voice grating on his ears, "What the fuck did you do to yourself?" She didn't hesitate to approach him while holstering her weapon. Her scent filled his nostrils; men's cologne and forced bravado. She reached up, grabbing his chin, digging manicured nails into his skin.

The sound he made, like a rumbling engine, started low in his chest working up his throat and out through clenched teeth. Her arm felt fragile in his grip as he yanked her hand away. He held her, tightening his hold as she glared at him with eyes full of hate and malice. She jerked against his grip with a growl of her own.

"Let go of me or I'm charging you with assault, Yuy. You're not the Preventors' golden boy anymore."

"Denvers, now is not the time," Yates said.

"I'm not afraid of you," she hissed, leaning into him, "You're just like every other piece of trash walking the streets. No badge, no authority."

"Lieutenant," one of the officers said. It was hard to tell which with the sound of his own growling and Denvers words echoing in his ears.

"Heero, just let her go," Hilde begged.

"Right. Let me go so you can get back to working for Murai."

"Denvers!"

"You think I'm not the only one who's noticed that it's taking you way too long to solve this case? You're working with them aren't you?" The last came out as a pained whimper as he tightened his hold on her. She was reaching, but the truth was too close to home now that he did in fact work for the killer.

"Denvers, for once in your life, back down before he hurts you."

"Is that why you fired him, Yates? You found out he's been covering Murai's tracks?"

"You're so full of shit Denvers," Weber said, "I almost hope he breaks your arm."

"What is he paying you, Yuy? You keep him out of jail and you get to fuck that girl?"

Black.

The absence of color.

It was all he saw for the few seconds it took to attack Denvers. Her arm gave under his hand and he tasted blood in his mouth. The foul, copper taste brought him back to a room full of screaming, to hands pulling at him desperately.

"Commander, let her go!"

"Heero, stop!"

"Shoot him!"

His teeth, sharp and lethal were locked in the juncture between her neck and shoulder tearing through the flesh and digging into the bone. The hands fighting him only made him tighten his grip forcing a pained scream from Denvers. He stepped back, forcing Denvers with him as he moved to cover his back and keep the others in sight.

"Everybody! Everybody back up!" Heero rolled his eyes to the officer pushing at the crowding bodies. No more than twenty-two and fresh from the police academy, he commanded attention and obedience with ease. The room as a whole moved, creating a circle around Heero, Denvers, and the young officer.

Dark, liquid brown eyes stared into his then dropped to the floor as the young man moved, hands up, fingers splayed. He moved with slow, steady steps, drawing close until he was able to out his hands against Denvers back. He waited for his fingers to curl into her dark suit, for the officer to try to pull her away from him.

"Lieutenant," he spoke softly, keeping his hands flat against her back, "stop fighting him."

Denvers jerked, as if slapped, pulling against Heero. "What the fuck are you talking about, Davis?"

"He isn't trying to hurt you and he won't if you submit."

"I'd rather let him rip my throat out."

"Lieutenant, I suggest you do what your officer says and relax. If Yuy was going to kill you, you'd be dead by now."

He didn't like Yates presuming how quickly or thoroughly he could kill someone, but found that he couldn't disagree. The way Denvers arm broke so easily under his hand told him that he was capable of much more. If he wanted to, it would take little effort to end her life.

He closed his eyes, listening for the steady thump of his own heart. It was one of many techniques he'd used during the war and after to calm himself when a situation became too intense, when his emotions threatened to overtake him. His own heartbeat was even and strong, but not Denvers. Her heart beat in her chest like a caged bird desperate for escape. It excited a part of him he didn't know existed and made it hard to do anything other than bite down on the pulse jumping against his tongue.

"Why can't you just shoot him?"

This time when he dug his teeth in, it was on purpose.

"He could rip your throat out before we could take him down. Just relax lieutenant. He's not going to let go until you do."

"And what makes you the fucking expert?"

"I read the case file. All of Murai's other victims became primal after being spliced, more animal than human. This screams dominance fight."

"Shut up, Davis."

"The kid's right," Weber spoke, "Either that or the boss has finally decided to show Denvers just how much he likes her."

"Fuck you."

"You got yourself into this mess so you can get yourself out of it."

"Agent Weber, you are not helping," Yates said, though the reprimand was ignored.

"You got in his face and accused him of shit you know he wouldn't do." Heero was surprised to hear such anger in Weber's voice. The level of calm he could exude rivaled Trowa's at times. Whatever the reason for such hostility, it had an affect on Denvers as slowly the tension eased from her body. "If any one of us said something like that to you, you would have shot our balls off. So why don't you listen to the kid and relax."

It took some time before she relaxed, the muscles in her body going lax in stages. It wasn't until her hand went lax, her fist unclenching, fingers dangling that he loosened his jaw. He lifted his head from her throat, taking in the perfect imprint of his teeth and the blood flowing from it. He dropped her arm backing away in disgust. He could have killed her. He'd lost control so easily, too easily. What if he was confronted by Duo or Gervais? Would he even hesitate to hurt them irrevocably?

He covered his face, stomach rolling at the taste of blood in his mouth. The loss of adrenaline left him shaking and cold, while his skin felt as if it were on fire. Hands touched him, supporting him, as useless words washed over him.

"It's okay. It's alright."

"We're going to get you to the hospital."

"You're going to be okay."

It was enough to distract him from the medic. He felt her move in behind him, lifting his shirt but was too late to stop her from injecting him with a sedative. He tried to fight it, even as it brought him to his knees, falling unconscious with Kitten's face at the forefront of his mind.

###

Sorry for the delay and the deletion of two whole chapters but i hated 27. i hated it when i was writing it, hated when i posted it and hated it when i thought about it. and on top of that I couldn't figure out how to get myself out of the hole i dug with it. so i decided to go back and make Murai a true villian because when i thought about it, he was sorely lacking in evil. Everything from 27 will not go to waste, certain parts will come back, others will change. So please please review and let me know if this is working better and again i'm sorry for the delay and any confusion.

bikko


	28. The NEW TwentySeven

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

Not beta'd, excuse any mistakes, please.

###

It was strange to think that he was tired of waking up when he was more so tired of falling unconscious. He knew without opening his eyes that he lay in a hospital bed. He could hear the familiar sounds of doctors and nurses discussing patients and charts, the beep-beep-beep of heart monitors, and the whir of breathing machines.

Heero lifted his arm, or tried to. His wrists were strapped to the bed with medical restraints made of thick leather and cotton with heavy mittens covering his hands. He pulled on his legs and found his ankles similarly restrained under the sheets. He wasn't muzzled, for that he could be thankful but he had enough of being tied up.

He growled pulling harder, intending to snap the flimsy restraints when Weber came into viewing laying a hand on his arm. It surprised him that it was Weber at his bedside and not Wu Fei or Trowa, but then with Kitten held hostage he knew they were doing what they could to find him rather than playing nurse.

"It's a precaution, after what happened with Denvers."

"How is she?" he asked, genuinely concerned about the woman and the damage he caused to her.

"Angry, but fine. How do you feel?"

He thought about it, trying to assess his condition. His skin no longer burned or felt stretched thin, though he knew instinctively that he was still spliced. There was no lingering urge to bite anyone close to him, though he wouldn't be prone to attacking Weber as he both trusted and felt safe with the man.

"Better. How long have I been asleep?"

"About two hours."

"Good. I need to find Hilde." He moved to sit up, pulling against his restraints again. "Get me out of these."

"I should go and get the doc," he said, nervously backing away.

"Weber. Murai has Kitten. We don't have time to waste."

"I know, it's just…a lot has happened since you went missing."

"Tell me."

"Let me get the doc to take a look at you first." Weber fled the room leaving behind a bitter smell. It was softer than the fear he smelled from Denvers. Worry, Heero surmised, or some part fear at what Heero might do once the bad news was broken.

He pulled the restraints, snapping them easily. There was no time to waste. The longer he waited, the more danger he put Kitten in. He needed to get Hilde alone to find out what she knew if anything, then he could set to work on finding where Murai was hiding. He also wanted to check in on the shelters and find the three hundred bodies the man claimed to have left behind.

He threw his legs over the side of the bed, wobbling on uncertain feet. Walking on the balls of his feet should have been uncomfortable, but his body seemed accustomed to it while his mind was trying to catch up. He checked the small chest of drawers finding a clean pair of scrubs along with some toiletries and mundane medical equipment.

He locked himself inside the bathroom. The space was small, comprised of a toilet with rails surrounding it, large sink, and walk-in shower. Above the sink, a soap dispenser was bolted to the wall, with warnings against ingesting the soap. He reread the label, gingerly touching his fingers to it. A week ago, after Duo put him into a three day coma, he went into the darkened bathroom and could barely see his hand in front of his face. Today in the dark, he could read small print.

With a deep breath, he turned the light on.

A mash of animal and his own face stared back at him. His eyes were no longer blue. His irises were golden with flecks of black that consumed the whole of his eye, leaving no white behind. His hair, once a solid dark brown, was now suffused with gold. Dark brown on top fading towards light blonde in layers around his head. The texture was coarse, more fur-like, and thicker than he remembered. His teeth were sharper, the canines more prominent, curved and ending in a point. His ears were wide and pointed, reminding him of elf ears, but furred and hidden in the long fall of his hair.

He stared at his chest. His muscles were more pronounced now, bulging from under his skin. His abs and chest were sculpted, rock-hard, and covered in a fine dusting of golden hair that disappeared into his shorts. The hair around his groin was white blonde and thick, framing his sex. He was bigger there too, both in length and width and he wondered if Murai wasn't playing a joke on him.

He clutched the edge of the sink angry once again. This was not his body, not his hair, not his muscles, not his cock. He liked his body and never once wanted to change anything about himself. With one injection, Murai stolen it all away, reshaping him into something else.

The heavy porcelain sink snapped to pieces in his hands and he gasped surprised at both his strength and the sharp sound of the pieces falling to the floor.

"Heero!" Weber called just on the other side of the door.

"I'm fine." He attacked the light, clawing the switch. In the dark, he found his way to the shower running the water hot. He scrubbed, hard enough to peel the skin from his body, wishing he could so easily rid himself of the splicing. He washed until his skin was raw but clean, drying his body just as roughly. The scrubs chaffed as he pulled them on but were welcome change to the flimsy hospital gown.

He refused to think about what may be happening to Kitten. He focused on the measures he needed to take to get him back. Information was key and he was determined to scrap together every bit that he could to get the boy back.

Weber and Dr. Anderson were waiting for him as he left the bathroom. It was definitely worry pinching Weber's features as he stared at him.

"Boss, are you alright?"

"I need to find Kitten," he said more to Anderson than Weber.

"I understand but you won't be any good to him if you over do it. Let me take a look at you."

He crossed the room, coming to stand beside Anderson. Days ago, Anderson loomed over him standing a full head taller, now they stood shoulder to shoulder. He stared into Anderson's weary eyes as the doctor brushed the hair from his face, clearing the way for a digital thermometer to sweep across his forehead and down the side of his face.

"One hundred and five degrees."

"That's good, right?" Weber asked.

"Much better that the one-fifteen he came in with. If it drops or goes any higher, let me know immediately. One o'five is your base temp until you're restored."

He stayed passive as Anderson shined a light into his eyes and felt along his neck, but was forced to keep himself still as Anderson passed behind him raising his shirt. The chest piece of the stethoscope was cold against his back. He took slow deep breaths as instructed, using the task to distract himself.

"It's not as bad as it could be. A lot of what was done was physical and you are stable. I hate to say that you're low priority as far as being restored but I've got at least thirty Splicers who need my attention."

"What am I?" he asked morbidly curious as to what animal Murai deemed appropriate for him.

"A Golden jackal."

He snorted. It at least explained his hair and eyes if not his hostility.

"I know you won't listen to me but you need to rest. The mix that he gave you, I can't determine what all the side effects might be. I believe I've managed to reign in some of the aggression from earlier by reversing the level of testosterone you produce, but I'm no Gervais. I can only do so much."

"I understand. Weber," he looked to the agent, "Tell me what happened."

Weber looked to Anderson and at his nod, he explained.

"Nellie attacked Trowa and Flaherty."

"Trowa," he whispered. "How bad?"

"Flaherty suffered a broken shoulder, clavicle, arm, fractured ribs, hip and skull,"Anderson answered, naming her injuries with a detached air.

"And Trowa?"

Anderson hesitated, shooting a quick look to Weber. "His condition is much worse. Right now, he's still in intensive care. Most of the bones in his upper body were broken including his skull. There was severe bleeding on the brain as well as swelling."

"What happened?"

"She just fell from the sky. Landed right on top of the car crushing them like it was nothing."

He scrubbed his face with the heel of his hands, releasing a rough breath. The situation was going from bad to worse. If there was anyone he could depend on, it was Trowa. Even with the numerous disagreements and secrets between them, there was no one he trusted at his back more. To know that his best friend and partner was downed in a hospital, dying, scared him. The war was over; the fear of dying at any moment, losing a comrade at any moment should have passed. Murai and Nellie ….

"Where is he?"

"Upstairs, but I don't think they'll let you in," Weber said.

"I need to see him."

"I'll take you upstairs but you can't disturb him or stay long."

"I understand. Weber find Hilde."

###

The ICU was sterile in both color and smell. The walls and floor were a monochrome white that, even after a vigorous scrub, left him feeling unclean, as if he would contaminate the patients with his presence alone. At six in the morning the entire floor was silent save for the whir and beep of machines coming through the doors and echoing down the hall.

Anderson led him just outside of Trowa's door with instructions to keep quiet and be quick. He stood outside the door with his head pressed against the solid frame, steeling himself against what he might see. In that moment he regretted all the times he argued with Trowa, all the times he was less than the best friend that Trowa deserved. Of all the people in his life, it was Trowa who was the most honest, even when the truth would alienate him from Heero. He was the one who stood by his side as both a partner and a friend, thinking not only of the case but Heero's feelings. He could easily overlook Trowa's agoraphobia and his reasoning to keep it to himself. Not even Heero thought himself brave enough to admit to what could be a debilitating condition in regards to his personal life and his job. That Trowa stood up to the disorder and refused to back down from life showed just how strong he was. Heero wished he could borrow some of that strength now to be able to do whatever it took to save Kitten.

He pushed through the door with deep breath, letting it out slowly as he stepped around the curtain walling off the bed from the rest of the room.

He was covered in pristine white bandages for which Heero was grateful. He didn't think he could with seeing his friend a bloody and broken mess. Much of his face was swathed in bandages and tape with his auburn hair peeking through the folds. Tubes and leads ran from his mouth and chest connecting to half a dozen machines that Heero knew to be the only things keeping him alive. His tall frame looked shrunken, as if he were a small child placed in a bed far too big for him. The image was only enhanced by Flaherty, who leaned heavily against his bedside holding his undamaged hand. Her face was drawn and pale, pinched in pain and sorrow as she stood on her bad hip. The upper left half of her body was covered in bandages including a heavy cast on her arm.

"Flaherty."

She blinked wide eyes at him as she turned taking in his changed countenance. "Commander, what happened?"

"Murai."

"Nellie," she said gesturing with her broken arm. She looked back at Trowa gently squeezing his hand.

"Can you tell me what happened?" he asked softly.

"He was going to pick up clothes for Kitten and I asked to come along." She paused, smiling at the memory. "We were at a light. Kitten was telling me that he and Mr. Trowa were going to get married. I asked him if I could marry Mr. Trowa too." She turned to Heero with a watery smile. "You should have seen his face. He turned so red." Her smile fell as tears began to slip down her face. "The next thing I knew I was crushed against the dashboard and Kitten was screaming. I don't know If he was hurt or not."

"He's fine for now."

"She could have killed him. Just jumping on the car like that. She'll kill him if we don't find him soon."

"I'll get him back and make sure they pay for this."

She sighed, though in relief or pain he wasn't sure. She had to be in agony, on her feet so soon after such a devastating attack.

"You should be resting."

She smiled again. "So should you, but here we are."

He couldn't help the smirk that turned his lips upward. "You're right, but he'd want you to take care of yourself."

"And you?"

"He'll understand why I didn't stay put."

"You're going after them." It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

"Be careful, Heero. Those two…it doesn't matter who lives or dies. As long as they get what they want."

"I'm learning that the hard way." He touched Trowa's leg gripping his ankle to reassure himself that his friend was there and still alive.

"I'll let you know if anything changes."

"Thank you."

With one more squeeze he left the room navigating the halls to find Weber and Hilde waiting for him at the nurses station though Hilde looked as if she preferred to be anywhere else but there. She avoided looking at him, her focus on the wall just to her left. He only had eyes for Hilde at the moment, noting that she'd left behind the revealing white shorts and tank in exchange for her Preventors' uniform.

"Weber I need you to find Chase. Tell him to stay inside headquarters."

"What should I tell him if he asks why?"

"Tell him he's in danger."

"Danger from what?" Hilde asked.

"Murai. He plans to go after the people close to me starting with Chase."

"Should the rest of us go to ground too, Boss?"

"Yes. Once you secure Chase, find Price and Gemmell and tell them to do the same."

"Got it." He walked away pulling out his cell as he went, leaving Heero and Hilde alone.

"What's going on Heero?"

"Tell me how you're connected to Gervais."

"What?" Her smell up until that point had been calm although tinged with what he could only assume was guilt. He was almost bowled over by the strong smell of fear that ran off of her, like acid burning the insides of his nose at the mention of Gervais. Murai was right she was somehow involved with the man. He grabbed her arm, mindful of his strength as he dragged her close.

"How are you involved with Gervais?" He questioned, tightening his grip ever so slightly.

"I'm not," she said petulantly, pulling at her arm. "I don't know what you're trying to accuse me of but maybe you should go back to your room and get some rest. You've had a long night, Heero."

He could not only smell the lie, a smell like burnt cinnamon, but he could see it in the set of her ears. At half mast and steadily dropping her ears deceived her while her face maintained its composure. Did she think him an idiot, to be fooled by her indignant act? Maybe she didn't know yet what was at stake but he would get the truth form her.

"Don't lie to me," he growled, his face just inches from hers. "Tell me what you know. Tell me where he is."

"I don't-"

"Yuy!"

He looked up, finding Yates at the end of the hall and fast approaching.

"Let Agent Schbeiker go."

He suppressed a growl, but dropped her arm. The last thing he needed was to be sedated again because Yates thought he wasn't in control of himself. Hilde rubbed her arm with a grimace, stepping behind Yates to use the bigger man as a shield. She wasn't so secretive and afraid of him hours before when she was wriggling in his lap, but now she played meek, scared to even look at him.

"Yuy, you're supposed to be in bed awaiting treatment."

"Murai has Kitten."

"I know that and I have three teams looking for him as we speak. If you want to help with the search then you can tell me everything that happened between you and Murai. It may give us a clue as to where to find him."

"I don't work for you. Remember?" He looked pointedly at Hilde whose ears were now pressed flat against her head. She stared intently at the floor, again refusing to meet his eyes.

"We'll discuss that after you tell me what happened. Schbeiker you can finish your interrogations."

"Yes sir."

He didn't hold back the growl but he resisted the urge to snatch Hilde back and shake the truth out of her. She was more than eager to leave, all but sprinting from Heero and his glare. Yates was costing him time but he needed to restrain himself before he seriously hurt someone. The splicing had some benefits but not enough to outweigh the lack of control he felt. He was quick to anger and impatient. He wanted answers now and was willing to threaten and hurt someone to get it. He told himself that he would not fall into Murai's trap. He would gain control of these urges. He would fight them back with everything he had. He wouldn't be able to face Kitten knowing that he'd harmed innocent people to save him.

"Let's go back to your room."

"Here is fine."

"Yuy," Yates said with a sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose as if to fight off a headache. "I'm sorry. I made the mistake of consulting someone that I thought could help close both of these cases."

"Hilde," Heero supplied.

"Yes," Yates said only helping to confirm Murai's theory. Now more than ever Heero needed to find the woman and find out what she knew of Gervais and how far her involvement went.

"She has an excellent track record with closing cold cases by using unorthodox methods. She suggested I fire you to draw out Duo and Nellie which would give us Gervais and Murai. To an extent, half of the plan worked." If he was making a joke, Heero didn't appreciate it.

"Funny," Heero deadpanned. "You took away my job, my livelihood, to use me as bait."

"Things were never supposed to progress this far. You were not supposed to get hurt. Agent Schbeiker went against my orders taking you along for the raid." He shook his head. "That doesn't matter. I'll deal with Schbeiker later, but you should know that you haven't lost your job. We needed you to believe it so that the others would also believe it."

It was Heero's turn to shake his head. "I've lost the respect of half the agents because of this stunt. None of them will trust me at their back."

"I'll make sure that everyone is aware of the situation. Your name will be cleared."

"It doesn't matter. You betrayed my trust, Yates. How do I know I won't be used as bait on the next assignment or the one after that? That you won't throw me to the wolves for someone else's plan?"

"I made a mistake. Don't throw away you're career because of it."

"I have Kitten to think about now. I can't continue here if it puts both my life and his in danger." It was the truth and something he was thinking quite seriously about. He had money, more than enough to take care of himself and Kitten for some years. And there were other jobs out there where his skills could be put to use without putting him in the line of fire everyday. He'd been entrusted with Kitten's life and well being and he wanted to give him all the love and attention that Heero himself was neglected of as a child.

Yates looked as if he wanted to argue but stopped himself. "You'll still have a job with us no matter what you decide and the other agents will know the truth."

"Thank you."

"But I still need to know what happened with Murai, agent or not, Yuy."

"I can't get the Preventors involved without risking Kitten."

"Yuy, that's not how we handle hostage situations. You give in to his demands and this will never end."

"Murai's shown me exactly what he's capable of. Either I play by his rules or he will kill Kitten."

"And what is it exactly he wants you to do?"

Heero shook his head. "Let me handle this on my own. I need as little involvement from the Preventors as possible, which means no tails, Yates. I can handle this."

"This isn't the war where suicide missions are a daily occurrence, Yuy. You've got people to back your play."

"The very people I'm trying to keep safe," he said, voice lowering to growl. "Give it up."

"Then give me something to work with. You think we can sit on our hands while you run out playing vigilante?"

"There are bodies that need to be recovered. Possibly hundreds in the fallout shelters below Murai's temporary labs. Weber, Price and Gemmell can coordinate the search."

"Hundreds?"

"Yes, according to Murai many of his customers didn't survive his initial splicing and that's where he dumped the bodies."

"You don't think he'll count that as interference?"

"No. I think he wants us to find them."

"It may be a trap."

"Maybe, but I think he wants to prove a point. Show us exactly what he's been accomplishing under our noses."

"I'll get a team mobilized and pull back the other agents. I'll keep them out of uniform and inconspicuous in case one of them gets too close to Murai."

Heero nodded.

"Yuy, what was that between you and Hilde?"

He was hoping Yates would overlook their confrontation and leave him to find the woman. "Nothing, I just need to talk to her."

"You should stay away from her until you're sure you've got yourself under control."

"I'm not going to hurt her."

"I'm sure you thought the same about Denvers." That was a low blow and Yates knew it. What happened with Denvers had been out of his control, happening before he had time to even consider what he was doing.

"What do you want from me Yates?"

"The truth. Keeping secrets is what's going to get us all killed." He couldn't argue the man's logic. Yates sighed shaking his head. "Don't talk to her alone, Yuy. Take someone you just trust. Chang maybe, he should be with her now interrogating patients on the fifth floor."

###

Yates didn't warn him that there would be other agents on the floor. He stepped out of the elevator into a sea of gossip and whispers. All eyes were on him as he threaded the halls looking for Hilde and Wu Fei. Most stood on the other side of closed doors watching him through the windows, while the bolder set stood in the open doorways gawking.

"Is that Yuy?"

"Look! He's so big!"

"Did you hear what he did to that officer?"

"I heard he ripped her throat out."

"I can hear you, you overpaid pieces of shit!" came the yell from a few doors up. He was hoping to avoid seeing the lieutenant for at least a few days to have a chance to recoup from their incident but he was having no such luck.

Denvers emerged from her room, cast on her arm and Davis following close behind. She was stripped of her suit jacket, left with just the navy shell and bandages running around her neck and chest. She looked ready to burst, her face red and eyes bulging as she crossed the distance between them in a huff.

"I'm pressing charges Yuy. You're going to rot in jail for this."

"Lieutenant," Davis admonished, trying to gently corral her back to her room.

"No," she yelled pulling away from her officer's hands. "You think just because you were a Gundam pilot you can do whatever the fuck you want? You're past doesn't mean shit to me and it isn't going to stop me from having you arrested."

Davis sighed, "Lieutenant, he wasn't himself. The splicing-"

"I don't believe that shit for one minute. Not with him at least."

"I'm sorry," Heero said feeling remorseful for the pain and the humiliation he caused her. While he once entertained fantasies of hurting the obstinate woman, he never intended to act on them.

"Sorry? Sorry doesn't un-break my arm, Yuy. Sorry doesn't take back what you did to me."

"An apology is all I can give you, Lieutenant. I didn't you intentionally, but I regret that I did."

"Lieutenant," her officer called and she looked to him, a silent conversation passing between them that left her lips pressed in a thin, angry line.

"I don't forgive you."

Davis closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Lieutenant…"

"The boy that was kidnapped. He's the same boy who went missing from the foster home?"

"Yes."

"What's so special about him?"

"I care about him. Murai plans to hurt him to hurt me."

"That doesn't fit with his MO," Davis spoke, raising Heero's opinion of him. "Is he blackmailing you?"

"It doesn't matter," Denvers cut in before he could think of how to respond. There was no way that he would tell the police Murai's demand or what he was doing to meet them. He definitely wouldn't involve Denvers if he could avoid it. With her background she would do everything she could to find Kitten first and possibly get him killed to have a chance at gloating.

"The Preventors have the police forces full cooperation." She said the words as if they tasted bitter in her mouth and by the angry set of her jaw the command came from higher up the chain.

"Have there been a large number of missing person's reports coming through the precinct?" He asked, Murai's taunt about missing persons' reports coming to mind.

"Yes, but we haven't found anything to suggest foul play." Davis answered. "All of those missing have no linking factor that we can identify. No signs of struggle at their homes or work, and no ransom notes. It's like they disappeared."

"I don't remember him asking you for all of that, Davis."

"The captain told us to give our full cooperation to Commander Yuy. Was I not following orders Lieutenant?"

"Shut up, Davis."

"Can you fax the information to headquarters? It may help in identifying the bodies."

"Bodies? What bodies? Just what the fuck is going on Yuy?"

"Murai claims to have killed more people than we originally estimated. A team is being sent to see if his claims are true. By what you've said, I believe it is."

"You think our missing persons were customers he killed through splicing?" Davis asked.

"So he says."

"Lieutenant?" Davis questioned, touching her arm to prompt her into looking at him. "That apartment and the bad recombinant we found."

"No, those two things are completely separate."

"But if there is a connection-"

"Do you work for Yuy or do you work for me?" Denvers asked, rounding on her officer.

"You, Lieutenant."

"Then act like it, damn it. Keep your mouth shut and do what the fuck I tell you."

"Yes, Lieutenant."

"Good, now go and get those files for Yuy." He applauded Davis his control; the anger in Davis' eyes would have been clearly written on his face. Davis said nothing as he moved away leaving Heero alone with Denvers. He made a mental note to catch up with the rookie officer to find out the connection the man may have found. From what little he knew of him, the officer was not only smart but intuitive and being poorly used under Denvers' leadership.

"There. We're cooperating. Now get the hell out of my way."

She shoved him aside, yelling at the agents in the hall that stared after her. Heero closed his eyes taking a deep breath, reminding himself that his apology would be void if he purposely mauled her. It was hard to have sympathetic feelings for a woman who possessed none for others.

He asked the nearest agent where he could find Wu Fei and was pointed down the hall. Wu Fei looked as frayed around the edges as Heero felt. His tan skin was wane with exhaustion, the dark circles under his eyes standing out like bruises. He was pushing himself to work, no doubt to keep his mind off of Sally. His shoulders were slumped, head slightly bowed as he stared at the Splicer on the gurney.

"She's been sick for over a week, but she was more afraid of being put back to normal than dying," Wu Fei said quietly. "Fool."

He spared a glance to the unconscious girl, remembering her from the party. Chanel the koala. She was unconscious, connected to different life support machines. Heero didn't think her chances for survival were good without Gervais' intervention. He hoped, darkly, that the man would reveal himself and make his task a lot easier.

He had no intention of killing the pompous scientist but he could use him as both bait and distraction to take down Murai and Nellie and secure Kitten. And of course once he had Gervais he would have Duo and he could finally get the answers he wanted and deserved.

"I need your help," he spoke drawing Wu Fei's gaze. "I need to find Hilde and talk to her."

"You don't need me for that."

"After what I did to Denvers I think I do."

"That woman provoked you. It was her own cowardliness and weakness that caused her to be hurt."

"I don't want to hurt anyone else like that."

Wu Fei stared at him as if weighing the words in his head. "I don't know where Hilde has gone."

"She left?" he asked disgusted that she would abandon her post to keep her part in Gervais' plans a secret. A part of him worried at what she had to tell him. How bad was it, that her first instinct was to flee?

"Yes, almost an hour ago."

"Do you know where she's going?"

"Heero, why is it so important that you speak with her?"

He thought about lying. He could trust Wu Fei to do all he could to help but a part of him still stung that Wu Fei didn't trust him. He and Sally kept their relationship from him for years. Years that he could have celebrated in the couples love and helped to keep their secret. But like all the others, they saw him as his job first and a person, a friend, second. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but, if for no other reason than prove himself the better friend, he confided in Wu Fei.

"Murai will Kitten if I don't bring him Gervais, and Hilde knows something."

"Do you believe she knows where he is?" Wu Fei came around the bed to stand close to Heero.

"I don't know but she does know something she's keeping from me."

"Her running only proves it. She said she was heading back to headquarters. We should find her there."

###

Heading back to headquarters had been a lie. The navy-haired woman was nowhere to be found within the building and no one could confirm that she ever arrived. Her cell phone went straight to voicemail with every call and as he and Wu Fei drove across the colony to her hotel he feared that maybe Nellie had kept her promise and done something to the woman.

The Hyperion was a lavish hotel, far above the lodgings that the Preventors would normally supply, but with her salary Hilde could afford to live in style. They bypassed the front desk with a show of Wu Fei's badge. Heero had changed into a uniform to be out of the hospital scrubs and draw less attention to himself. Being over six feet tall with golden eyes and hair however made that impossible. People were eager to stare at him as he moved past them, overflowing with questions. He ignored them as best he could, following Wu Fei up the stairs to Hilde's room.

He couldn't afford delays. He still had hours yet to gain Hilde's cooperation but the sooner he knew the truth the better. He needed time to plan his next move and Hilde's information could be the lynchpin to everything. If she knew Gervais' location, he could close both cases by the end of the day and go back to semi-normal life.

He let Wu Fei knock, afraid that he might break the door down when they came upon her room. He stood away from the door, holding himself back from the urge to just kick it down and find the missing woman.

"Hilde! It's Wu Fei. Open the door. Hilde!" He beat against the door again.

Heero closed his eyes, training his ears to listen for sounds of someone in the room. He blocked out the voices of the people having sex down the hall and the little girls giggling next door, focusing on Hilde's room. He listened for the sound her heartbeat, the sound of her breathing, the sound of her shuffling feet. There was nothing but a cold silence on the other side of the door.

He growled. "She's not in there."

"Where could she be?"

"Move," he ordered, taking hold of the door handle. It was laughable how easily he broke the lock, shoving the door open.

The room was a mess, thrown into disarray as if a tornado had blown through. The sheets and coverlet hung off the bed pooling on the floor. The bedside lamp was overturned, the bulb broken. The closet door hung open, hangers littering the floor. Toiletries were scattered across the bathroom floor. Nothing of Hilde's was left behind except for a lone sock tucked into a dresser drawer.

Heero looked around the room in devastation. She was gone and so was her secret.

###

I live for reviews so please send them my way and thanks to everyone who has stuck with me on this. I have the end in sight so hopefully no more delays.


	29. Twenty Eight

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lemon, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

###

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"What did you do to my room?" Came Hilde's voice from the doorway. She picked her way across the room staying out of arm's reach. Heero could smell her trepidation; see it in the stiff way she moved towards the bed.

"We've left your room exactly as we found it." Wu Fei answered stiffly. He, like Heero, began to give the room a second look.

"Everything is gone," Heero said, "Except for this." He held up the sock catching Hilde's gaze for a second before she dropped her eyes, and focus, to the nightstand beside the bed.

"It was just clothes. My laptop and files are secure at HQ." She bent over the bed lifting the sheets to her face. She sniffed them then moved to the pillow then around the fallen lamp. "It was Nellie."

"You're sure?" Heero asked. He closed his eyes taking a deep breath. There were a hundred different smells permeating the room. The strongest came from Wu Fei, who smelled like wood smoke, and Hilde who smelled like blueberries. The other scents were random; none that he could definitely say belonged to Nellie.

"Yeah, I wouldn't forget her smell."

"You can smell her in this room? You recognize her scent?" Wu Fei questioned, his tone soft and inquisitive.

"Yes."

"That's strange. I was under the impression that only Duo, Kitten and now Heero could distinguish smells so acutely. How could I have possibly overlooked your…talent?"

Hilde paled, her tail twitching behind her and like that, so many things fell into place for Heero.

"Gervais did your splicing. How long have you known about him Hilde?" He took a step forward. "How long have you known about Duo?"

She shook her head. "I promised to keep his secret."

"You promised who?" Heero asked.

"Duo."

"I don't care who you promised, Schbeiker. I want an answer. How long?" Wu Fei demanded.

"Four years."

"What?" Heero balked.

"I was so horrible to him Heero. I wrote him out of my life, told him to stop calling me, stop emailing me. I told him that my career was more important than hanging out with him. He begged me to keep what happened a secret and I couldn't say no."

"So you let your guilt override your sense of honor and duty as both an agent and a friend?"

It was hard to swallow, to think, to move. Fours years. _Four_ years. So much time wasted looking for Duo and all the while the answer was just within his reach. He'd thought him and Hilde friends, or something close to it. He'd bonded with her in the first few months of Duo's disappearance, commiserating the loss of their friend and it was all an act. She'd looked him in the face, reassured him that this time, this raid, they would find Duo, when she knew the truth.

"How?" His voice was rough but quiet. "How did you find him? Did he come to you?"

He wanted to know why Duo didn't trust him with this secret. Why her after she drove Duo away and Heero only tried to bring him closer, did he confide in her.

"No. I found him. Maybe a week after he went missing."

His heart squeezed tight in his chest and it was suddenly hard to breathe. He stared at the carpeted floor, the backs of his eyes stinging, letting the information wash over him. She found him within a week while Heero searched for years steadily losing hope.

"You disgust me."

Wu Fei's anger was like a hard, hot slap to his face, jerking his head around to stare at the red-faced man. His anger was the acrid smell of Gundam servos overheating and on the verge of exploding.

"Do you know how we've suffered? Do you have any idea? Countless weeks and months thinking the worse while you walked among us pretending to care."

"I do care! I hurt just as much as you. Do you think this was easy for me?"

"Be. Quiet." Wu Fei's eyes narrowed. His words were low and quiet but the tone was venomous. "I gave up on ever finding Duo. After two years I stopped believing that we would ever find him. I mourned for him. I prayed that his spirit would find peace, that he would forgive me for not doing more to help him and now you tell me that you knew all along. You let us suffer for nothing."

"Wu Fei…"

"No. I don't want your pity and least of all your feeble attempt at excuses. I want an answer. Now. What happened to Duo?"

She fidgeted, looking at the papered walls, the empty closet, the unmade bed, wringing her hands. For a moment, he thought she would refuse to answer before she took a deep breath, raised her head and spoke.

"It was an accident. He went out for a ride one night and lost control of his bike at an intersection and crashed into three pedestrians. Two of them walked away with minor injuries, but the girl…she lost her leg. Duo was so torn up about it that he refused treatment. His arm was barely hanging on by a thread but he wanted the doctors to work on the girl and not him.

"Gervais was moonlighting at the hospital that night and he told Duo that he could fix everything. Make it like the accident never happened and Duo took him up on it. He helped Gervais sneak her out of the hospital and to his lab and Gervais did like he promised. A few weeks later, Priscel was walking on her own two legs."

"That doesn't tell me why Duo stayed on with him, hiding for four years. That doesn't tell me why he let Gervais clone him or completely rewrite his DNA."

"He was sick for a long time after that. He only let Gervais treat him enough to keep him alive until Priscel was one hundred percent, then he let Gervais heal him. After that, he stayed on to help Gervais. He told me he felt useful with Gervais, that he was making a difference."

"Then why keep it from us. Why let us carry such a burden if everything was alright? Why go out of your way to ruin Heero's career and help a fugitive when you could have told us the truth, let us help?"

"I made a promise, Wu Fei and I stuck to it."

Heero could hear Wu Fei's teeth grinding as he watched the other man fight to stay civil.

"Is that what you'll tell the others? That you kept your promise? Is that what you'll tell the other agents who risked their lives in search of Duo?"

"No one can know about this. If any of this got out, every case that I've worked will be overturned. Hundreds of terrorists, arsonists and rapists would be back on the streets. Even you can see how important it is that this stays quiet."

Wu Fei narrowed his eyes. "You never answered the question. How long have you been spliced?"

She hesitated, shifting her weight for left to right. "Almost three years."

"After splicing became illegal. You, a Preventors agent, allowed yourself to be spliced. I see now how someone with no redeeming skills was able to move so quickly through the ranks."

"You bastard. I did it to save lives."

"There is no excuse, Schbeiker. Turn your resignation in to your Director by the end of the week."

"What? You can't force me to quit."

"Then I'll have you brought up on criminal charges. Criminal negligence, aiding and abetting, kidnapping and splicing will only be the beginning. I won't allow someone like you to remain a part of this organization. You have no understanding of what you cost us all, including Duo. Turn in your resignation, Schbeiker and don't show your face here again."

"He was right. Murai was right." Heero murmured. He looked into Hilde's eyes trying to understand. "You've been helping Gervais all along. I defended you and you've been lying to me for years.

"How did you find him, Hilde?"

"His bike," she answered softly. "He never rides it on the colony, said because it's vintage it only belongs on real asphalt on Earth. I tracked it to the accident. then him to the hospital and found the footage of Gervais with Duo. After that it was easy to find him."

"And you went without me, without any back-up?"

"Yet another reason why you shouldn't be an agent."

Hilde glared but didn't rise to Wu Fei's bating. "I wanted to talk to him alone. I wanted to apologize."

"I've heard enough. Heero, we have what we came for, let's go."

"Hilde, do you know what else Murai said?" He gave her time to answer with a small shake of her head. "He said Gervais was using Duo like a slave, a toy, to help him achieve his goals. He was right about you Hilde. Was he right about that, too? Did Duo stay because he wanted to or because Gervais made him?"

"I…I don't know."

"I hope for your sake that he was wrong, because if I find out that you left Duo with Gervais, let him use Duo, I will kill you."

###

He was disconnected from the conversation happening around him, replaying Hilde's words over in his head. He couldn't understand what drove her to leave Duo with Gervais. Did she ever see him floating in that tank? Did she never question who Gervais was? His intentions? Little by little Gervais was becoming a villain in his eyes. It was clear to Heero that to Gervais achieving his goals was more important than anything else and in some ways it made him more dangerous than Murai.

"They've recovered over sixty bodies in the last couple of hours," Heero looked up as Gemmell spoke, watching as she combed her hair away from her face. What was left of his team, including Wu Fei, was stationed around the conference table trying to put the pieces of their case to together before Heero's scheduled meeting with Murai. Gemmell took up the entire right side of the table with numerous files scattered around in front of her, while Weber sat to the left of the table sorting through his meticulous stack of papers. "I don't see how we missed this. How did we not know about all these bodies?"

"The fallout shelters are vacuum sealed to protect against depressurization and air leaks. There was no way for us to smell the bodies and by the time we found a splicing location, Murai had moved on," Weber answered.

"We've been playing catch up this entire time. We know who he is and what he wants, we need to get in front of him and stop him," Price added. She sat beside Weber drumming her fingers to a staccato beat against the table.

"We don't know him. We don't know why he's so adamant about killing Gervais or why it was important that we knew how many people he's murdered." Wu Fei stood beside Heero's chair at the head of the table, his arms crossed. His mood, like Heero's, had yet to improve since their meeting with Hilde.

"We know his dad traveled between two families and from what I've dug up he was no father of the year. There are a slew of domestic violence reports from both families. It looks like he beat up on one family and when the police were called ran off to the other family to start all over again."

"Did he abuse his children or just the wives?'

"Both. He beat the mom's and used the kids as ashtrays. Eventually both moms' put out restraining orders against him but they never actually met each other until after his death."

"How old was Murai then?" Wu Fei asked.

"Thirteen," Gemmell answered.

"What happened to him after that?"

"Um, looks like Murai was in and out of trouble for years. Vandalism, petty theft, and fighting. All the earmarks of a psycho in the making."

"Maybe or he was just a troubled teenager from a broken home. As far as we know he never maimed, tortured or killed a single human being before Brandon's death."

"But there's gotta be progression right? You don't go from nice animal doctor to cold-blooded killer overnight," Weber said.

"Brandon's death was definitely the stressor that sent him over the edge and into killing people but he's killed before."

"When?"

"The animals. We live on a colony," Gemmell explained. "There's no room for unwanted animals or overpopulation. Hundreds of pets are put to sleep everyday. Who's to say he didn't get into the business for the opportunity to kill living creatures everyday and no one's the wiser."

"If that's the case, he's been building up to this for years and there is no telling what he did to those animals," Price added.

"We don't know if any of this is right. I mean we're taking shots in the dark and we could be way out in left field. Why didn't he kill Nellie? If Brandon's death was the stressor and she talked him into the splicing and was standing right there, why didn't Murai kill her first?"

"She suffered," Heero spoke.

"Boss?"

The chair groaned under his weight as he sat forward. "He told me I looked like a man who knew how to suffer, that he liked that about me. Nellie's suffered as well."

"You're not kidding about that. Nellie's history makes all of ours combined look a like a day at Disneyland. Her dad was a real piece of shit. He didn't just sell her for sex; he let those psychos do whatever they wanted to her." Weber pulled a small stack of photos free, keeping them face down as he slid them across the table. . "I'm warning you, it's bad."

The photos were dated years back and by the angles, the close and wide shots were taken by an investigator to document the damage. The first few were of her face. Her left eye was swollen shut, the plump skin dark with bruising. Blood caked her face with cuts still oozing as the photos were taken. The next were of her upper body. Most of the blood was cleaned away to show the fresh jagged cuts mixed in with scars made from cuts and burns all centered around her breasts. They were puckered and marred, the nipples lost under heavy scar tissue made from repeat damage.

He was almost unwilling to turn to the next set of photos, to see the rest of the damage, but it would be worse to look away, to do anything other than acknowledge what she suffered. He flipped to the next photo gasping through his nose as his mind tried to piece the image together. When she told him about the scars between her legs he pictured thin, fading scars curving across the insides of her thighs. Painful but unremarkable. The scars she had were anything but.

Her inner thighs were mottled with thick scar tissue soaked in bright red blood that ran down from her uncovered sex. The lips were ragged, as if chewed, one smaller than the other. The photographer made sure to get every angle possible to show just how extensive the damage was, how badly she was torn and ripped.

He struggled to turn to the last photo his hands shaking all the while. He had to turn the picture on its side and stare for few moments before he could understand it. Letters. A word carved, no, butchered onto her back. He pictured the hands of drunken men, dull knives and broken glass destroying her body for a few moments of sick pleasure. Like a red neon sign, the word whore screamed off the picture, off of her back and Heero knew the image would stay with him forever.

"Tell me," Wu Fei swallowed and started again. "Tell me the people who did this are dead."

Weber shook his head. "Not all of them. Two died in prison, the others are kept isolated from the other inmates and the dad's on the lam."

"What kind of father does this to his own child? What kind of father lets men into his home to do something like this?"

"He was a drug addict."

"That's no excuse."

"I know. I'm just saying that's why he did it. To get high. He used the only thing he had available. Her."

"He should have sold himself. It should have been him cut up like that."

Heero shot of his chair, startling his team. Wu Fei's anger, Nellie's past and Hilde's story were converging, mingling into a dark thought. He grabbed Wu Fei's arm pulling him away from the table and out of the conference room and earshot of the others. "What if his DNA was all he had to give?"

"You think Duo gave himself up for Gervais' tests to save that girl?"

"Yes."

"If the experiments failed they both could have died. There's nothing to gain from that."'

"Gervais convinced him somehow, convinced him that he could save the girl if he gave himself up."

Wu Fei sighed deeply. "As much as I want to understand Duo's part in all of this, we don't have time to consider every nuance and possibility. We need to focus on saving Kitten. Once we've accomplished that then we can concern ourselves with Duo."

"Do you think Murai set this all up to throw me off?"

Wu Fei thought for a moment. "It's a possibility. You were getting too close and now he's found a way to keep you at arms length but for what, I'm not sure."

"He's planning something. We profiled before that he was trying to become famous. This amount of killing will gain him notoriety but he's planning something more."

"Killing Gervais. For all his faults, Gervais has made breakthroughs in splicing. He could save millions of lives with his advancements and no one else has come close to that. If Murai kills Gervais then all that potential will die with him. They'll credit Murai with the death of those millions."

"We can't let him get close to Gervais."

"Then we need to act aggressively."

###

He was literally being dragged by Nellie through a series of tunnels, working deep into the heart of the colony through the interconnected fallout shelters. She held his tightly as she led him, a skip in her step and a song vibrating in her throat. If she and Murai thought the myriad of twists and turns would stop him from later retracing his steps they were sadly mistaken. Even as he spoke to her, he was building a map in his head and if that weren't enough the small tracking device he brought along was relaying his exact coordinates to his team.

"Are you really going to let him hurt Kitten, Nellie?"

"We're not going to hurt him," she said without stopping. "We're just babysitting him for a little while."

"Is that the lie Murai told you?"

She stopped, looking back at him. Her eyes glowed a golden yellow in the dim lighting. She had Murai splice her to match him, to make them a mated pair as she claimed. "Gabby doesn't lie to me. You like Kitten best, so if we have him then you'll give us what we want."

"I know what he wants, Nellie. What do _you _want?"

"I want Brandon back, but," she paused her face growing dark, "I can't have him can I. So I'll settle for Gervais' heart. Gabby says I get to eat it"

"Why him? What did he do to you?"

She dropped his hand, her anger rolling over him like a tidal wave. "He didn't save Brandon. He saved Duo, but not my Brandon. Why couldn't he save Brandon?"

"Nellie?" came Murai's voice down the tunnel, "Are you giving away our secrets?"

Like a switch being thrown her anger left her just as quickly as it came and she grinned grabbing Heero's hand to pull him the rest of the way. They ended in an open shelter, the metal plated walls indistinguishable from all the others before it. Murai sat before him, like a king on his thrown with Chase bound and gagged, kneeling at his feet. He was not surprised to see the man being held against his will after hearing of the destruction left in his small apartment from the agents assigned to find and protect him. Heero locked eyes with his mentor hoping to convey with his gaze that he would save him.

"Heero, I assume you spoke to Hilde?"

"What is she talking about Murai?" Heero asked nodding his head at Nellie as she moved around him to sit on the arm of Murai's chair within touching distance of Chase.

Murai frowned, giving Nellie a sidelong glance before answering. "I doubt that my connection to Gervais is nearly as remarkable as Hilde's."

"Remarkable enough to keep it from me." He wanted information just as badly as Murai and was determined to get, even if it menat playing word games with the older man.

"You really didn't think there wasn't some connection between us, did you?'

"The only connection we've found is your profession."

"Hm," Murai said leaning back in his chair, "He did work as a vet before the war."

"Is that when you met him?"

"Is that when Hilde met him?"

Heero's fist tightened. His first instinct was to race across the room and claw Murai into unrecognizable pieces, but Nellie had already warned him that Kitten was hidden away for that very reason. He couldn't risk hurting Kitten by hurting Murai, but it didn't mean that he was without a plan.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Tell me what the girl had to say and maybe I'll answer your question."

Heero glowered, sighing heavily through his nose. "You were right."

"I'm right about a lot of things, Heero. Please, be more specific."

Heero growled, nails biting into his skin.

"She knew about Gervais and Duo. She knew where he was, what he was doing, all of it."

"How did Duo and Gervais meet?"

"After an accident. Duo crashed his bike into pedestrians and Gervais saved them all."

"Were they dying?"

"No. No one was hurt fatally, just permanently maimed until he came along."

"I see. And I take it that Gervais managed to save the day?"

"Yes."

"Of course. He can work wonders when he chooses."

"What do you mean when he chooses?"

"When it will benefit him the most. Saving Duo gave him a guinea pig for his experiments. Saving your agent got him in your good graces. Saving Milliardo Peacecraft and the other agents will give him all the good publicity anyone good ask for, but when I called him to help save Brandon; he stood by and watched him die."

"You were helping him too," Heero said only mildly surprised. His team had at one time speculated that Murai could have been Gervais' assistant trying to outdo his predecessor.

"He came to me years ago wanting my help in collecting samples so he could start his project. After that his visits were few and far between until he needed my help with Duo. Hellbender salamander and Great Horned Owl DNA are not easy to come by unless you have my contacts."

"Did you see him? Did you see Duo during that time?" He wanted to stay on track, keep to the facts and details that might help him save Duo but he couldn't resist asking, couldn't resist knowing everything there was to know about Duo's lost years.

"No. Gervais was very tight-lipped about what exactly he was doing but I saw photos of Duo's recovery. He was always happy to brag about his accomplishments."

"If you never saw him, then how do you know he's being brainwashed?"

"Because he told me, Heero."

"He-" It was like a slap to the face. "He told you?"

"Like I said Heero, he likes to brag. How did he put it? 'Duo is the perfect vessel. Bending him took some time but I've finally made him mine.'"

"The perfect vessel?"

"Yes. He complained that with each animal he spliced Duo with he was forced to recondition him. But of course by the third time he'd mastered the process."

_Every splice…reconditioned?_ Heero's mind faltered over the words. If Duo was an exact match to Kitten, then he was spliced with at least eight animals. He thought back to the raid that found Duo floating in a tank and Gervais' words.

"…_if I release him now the work that I've done will go to waste. We'll have to start the final step all over again."_

The final step. Had they temporarily stopped Gervais in the midst of reconditioning Duo or was he on to something more drastic, more permanent? He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Duo wasn't the priority here and Murai would no doubt say whatever it took to distract him.

"None of this tells me why you want to kill him. Why you blame him for Brandon's death. The recombinant he took was bought off the internet, not from Gervais."

"That same recombinant that I used on those spineless yuppies is what he and Nellie used. Tell me why Gervais could save your agents but not Brandon? Why was he able to reverse what happened to your agent but not him?"

"I don't know."

"Because it didn't benefit him. Brandon didn't mean anything to him, wouldn't further his research or his career so he let him die. He came into my home and stood over his body watching the light go out of his eyes. After all I did to help him; he didn't even touch him, as if he couldn't be bothered with getting his hands dirty."

"So this is revenge for that night? You're going to kill Gervais because he couldn't help you?"

"Not couldn't, wouldn't."

"Why him? Why not the owner of the site, the one who sent the bad recombinant?"

"Oh," Nellie said while running her bare foot up and down Chase's back, "We've already killed him."

"Those hundreds of people, why them?"

"Because idiots like them started this ridiculous trend. People like them made it acceptable to run from their problems with splicing and Gervais plans to use it to his advantage. I don't want to simply kill him, Heero. I want to destroy everything he stands for."

Heero could see it. Splicing completely outlawed because people were afraid of the consequences, not just from the number of deaths but because of how lethal a weapon a vial of recombinant could be. Destroying splicing's credibility wouldn't be enough, not for Murai at least, he would destroy every shred of good Gervais had managed to create by using the techinique.

"You're going to kill Kitten," Heero said hollowly.

"No," Murai said with frown, "He's innocent in all of this. I even think Duo is innocent. Gervais preyed on him in his time of weakness and used him for his own gain; he didn't ask to be made into an abomination."

"Abomination," he repeated shocked by the depth of Murai's loathing for splicing, "Is that what you see when you look at Nellie?"

Murai turned, staring up at the girl. "No. She's just as much a victim as the rest. She loved Brandon and he loved her. I don't blame her for Brandon's death. "

He could taste the lie on his tongue, sharp and acrid with a cloying sweetness. Nellie smiled with delight, hugging the man's neck, blind to Murai's hate for her.

"Do you know where Gervais is now?"

"If I knew that Heero, I wouldn't bother with you. When Brandon died, I told him I would kill him. He's hidden himself from me ever since. I'm surprised he stayed with you and the Preventors for so long. Maybe, for a time, he thought you would protect him."

"If he thought that he would have told us about you, given you up to save is own life."

"He plans his every move precisely, nothing is wasted. So what did he need from the Preventors that you helped him gain, Heero?"

Heero shook his head. "You said it yourself. The agents and all the good press it would gain him."

Murai smiled and stood. "You're right. I see why Nellie likes you so much." Nellie stood, preening under Murai's pseudo-compliment of her good taste in men.

"Unfortunately it's time that we depart. I want to know all about this pedestrian, Heero. Are they in Gervais' employ? Was Duo's accident really an accident? We'll barter with Weber's life this time. I don't believe I've hurt him yet. As for Chase…" He looked down at the bound man, then Nellie's eager face, "Kill him."

"No!" Heero cried, running forward to be stopped by Murai's hand. It was like crashing into a brick wall head on. It staggered him long enough for Nellie to get a good grip around Chase's head.

The snap of Chase's neck was deafening in the small room.

"Why? Why? I gave you what you wanted."

Murai fisted the front of Heero's shirt dragging him close, his warm breath washing over Heero's face as he spoke.

"I can hear them Heero. Your agents, scurrying around like rats above our heads. Did you forget my promise?"

He stared at Murai wide-eyed his plan crashing around his ears and fear finally starting to settle in. He'd underestimated the older man, thinking he could get the jump on him and end things tonight but he'd only made things worse. Now Chase was dead and he'd put Kitten in danger.

"Please, don't hurt Kitten."

"I warned you, Heero."


	30. Twenty Nine

Title: Preventors' Case 84309: Splicers

Pairings: Main 1x2, others may show up

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, blood, gore, lime, angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Splicing idea taken from a Batman Beyond episode.

Summary: Heero is working for the Preventors on a case dealing with genetic mutations gone wrong. When he finally manages to make a break in the case he finds Duo, whose been missing for four years, right in the middle of it. Where has Duo been and what has he done to himself?

Unbeta'd

###

I forgot to put my "I'm Sorry it took forever letter' in the last chapter, but I really am. So please forgive the wait and on a lighter note Armageddon may be upon us because it took less than two weeks to write this. It's amazing!

On with the story!

###

J taught him to see corpses as things not people but it was Chase who explained why.

"You can't put a face and name to every body you see. Sometimes, kid, sometimes they've just got to be a thing; a piece of evidence that leads you closer to solving the crime or you'll get too caught up in feeling sympathy. You start thinking that poor girl or that poor man and you never get anything done. Feeling sorry for them doesn't catch the bastard that killed them."

It was easy to take the words to heart when the body before him wasn't someone he knew personally; when it wasn't someone he cared about. He'd failed Chase and endangered Kitten's well-being for nothing. He was no closer to stopping Murai than he was an hour ago. The plan was to plant the device on Murai and follow the signal back to Kitten with Wu Fei at the lead of an improvised Hostage Rescue Team. He should have known that it wouldn't be so easy.

He was sitting before Chase's body when the agents stormed the room with Wu Fei at the head. They moved around him and Chase as if they didn't exist clearing the room before asking questions.

"Yuy, where is he?" Wu Fei called, lifting the shield on his helmet. The four other agents followed his lead, lowering their rifles.

"Gone."

"How long?"

Heero shook his head. "If we pursue he'll hurt Kitten and kill someone else."

"He'll kill someone else regardless of what we do," Weber said, coming up beside Heero. "You okay, Boss?"

He hugged his knees, shaking his head.

"What happened here?" Wu Fei moved beside Chase's corpse.

"He heard you coming and he killed Chase to punish me. It's my fault he's dead and Kitten…" he trailed off unable to think about what Murai could be doing to Kitten. "I should have said no."

"This is what he wants Heero. You can't doubt yourself and you can't be afraid to confront him. If you do, this will never end."

"What will I say to Chase's family? I thought I was doing the right thing?"

"Yes, because it's all you could have done. Even if we didn't come, do you really think he would have let Chase live, knowing what he does about them?"

"No."

"Then don't give up this fight. We need to stop him."

"What's his next demand?" Weber asked.

Heero rested his chin against his folded arms staring at Chase's body. He couldn't make any more mistakes and he couldn't risk Kitten anymore than he had already.

"Boss?"

"I'm going alone." He rose from the floor determined. He would go alone to meet Priscel and go alone to meet Murai. He had until noon tomorrow, so there was no time to waste with planning and discussion.

"Don't be foolish, Heero."

"I'm not. I won't risk Weber or anyone else."

"What about me?"

"Murai is going to target you next."

"Well that sucks."

"He isn't going to get anywhere near you." Wu Fei said with conviction.

"That's what he wants. You guys all focused on protecting me while he scopes out someone else. I'm not afraid of him and I don't want you going after him without backup, Boss."

Heero lowered his head, touching the tips of his fingers to his face. He knew where this was going. Murai wouldn't be caught, not until the end, not until Gervais was dead. He knew along the way there would be things he would have to do to meet Murai's demands, things he didn't want the others around to see. It would better for them all if they could truthfully deny being a part of the crimes he might commit. No. He would go alone and he would save Kitten.

###

_I'm doing the right thing_, he thought, willing himself to believe it. Leaving Wu Fei and his team to take care of Chase's body while he looked for Priscel was for the best. He wasn't sure of what he might find when he approached her. It took over an hour to find any concrete information on the girl. The accident report and hospital admittance forms from four years ago were all missing. Gervais and Hilde almost succeeded in covering their tracks. _Almost_, he thought. Neither of them were as good as he was and they left at least one glaring piece of information on the records; the missing persons report filed by Priscel Knightly's parents. There was no way to completely cover up a thirteen-year-old girl being hit by a motorcycle and kidnapped from a hospital.

The girl was only seventeen now, in high school and living with her parents. It was his hope that at nine at night the family would be at home settling down for bed. He stood across the street surveying the two-story townhouse. The exterior lights lit the front of the house and the empty driveway. The house looked empty from a distance but he could see two figures moving past an upstairs window. He waited a few moments for a light to come on and when none did, he moved towards the house.

He was within six feet of the door when the smell hit him. Warm cinnamon, clovers and the smallest drop of honey that filled his body with heat and a rush of anger. He pushed through the open front door, ghosting up the stairs to the second landing. He drew his gun as he followed the unmistakable scent, pausing just outside an open bedroom door listening.

"Where are we going?"

"Someplace safe."

"I don't understand. Who would want to come after me?"

"All i know is that G wants me to keep you safe, so we need to move."

He'd heard enough, He peeled away from the wall, stepping into the room in the same movement taking aim. It took less than a second to assess the situation. The room was small and pink, decorated with posters of dancers and famous ballets. The queen-sized bed was center stage with Priscel and Duo standing to the right, shoving clothes into a small duffel. The girl was dressed in all white, from the leotard, tights, slippers and long flowing tutu. Her face was decorated with glitter and sequins and her hair done up in complicated knots with white feathers. Duo was keeping her from a performance to further Gervais' plans.

"That's enough, Duo."

Duo reacted, shoving the girl behind him. "I'm not going to let you hurt her."

"I'm not here to hurt her, Duo, and I'm not going to let you kidnap her."

"Like I believe that. You always break into random girl's houses in the middle of the night?"

His aim faltered. "Duo, if this is a joke, it's not funny."

"I don't joke with people I don't know."

_It must be the splicing, _he thought, though at the same time he reminded himself that Hilde and his entire team were able to recognize him.

"Duo, it's me, Heero."

"I don't know anyone named Heero." It was a slap to the face and a confirmation of so much. Gervais was indeed controlling Duo, robbing him of his memories and sending him out to do his dirty work. He took a step forward. Was this Gervais' reconditioning?

"Now you can either turn around and leave or I can break both of your arms."

"Duo, listen to me."

"Saying my name over and over isn't going to make me know you, pal. Priss?"

The girl came to attention behind him. "Yeah?"

"Get ready to run."

She snatched the duffel off the bed, holding it under one arm as she moved to the side of Duo.

"Priscel Knightly, my name is Heero Yuy." He kept his gun trained on the floor as he pulled his badge from his back pocket, glad that Wu Fei convinced him to take it with him. "I'm a commander with the Preventors. I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to talk to you."

"We're done talking." It was the only warning Heero had before Duo came charging at him. Gervais' splicing gave Duo both speed and strength as Heero had no time to brace himself for impact. Duo took him hard around the middle knocking the wind out of him and landing him flat on back with Duo's solid weight pinning him.

"Priss, run!"

He bucked underneath Duo reversing their positions long enough to land a solid blow to Duo's face. The urge to keep punching, to beat Duo until he submitted to him was strong but he didn't have the luxury to take his anger out on the other man. He hit him a second time hoping to stun him long enough to catch Priscel. He scrambled off Duo to find that she'd yet to move, rooted in place by the sudden violence. She flinched when he touched her, as if waking from a dream.

"Listen to me. The man who sent him has brainwashed him and if you go with him, he's going to do-"

He was ripped away from the girl and punched square in the face three times before Duo let him fall. White spots blinded his vision and his head pounded in pain but he forced himself up. He shook his head, blinking to clear his vision. He grabbed for the closest body and the girl shrieked loudly in his ear.

Duo growled. "Let her go."

He pushed the girl behind him backing away from Duo. "Stop fighting me," he snarled. "I'm trying to save you both."

"Save us?" Duo laughed. "From what?"

"Gervais."

"You've got to be kidding me. I don't know who you are or what your deal is, but you've got three seconds to let her go or I start playing for keeps."

"He's been brainwashing you Duo. Using you."

"No one is using me."

The girl's hands clutched at the back of his shirt. "Are you really Heero?"

"Yes," he answered never taking his eyes off the advancing Duo. He knew first hand what Duo was capable of.

"You know this guy, Priss?"

"No, but….you told me about him."

"What? When?"

"When we were in the hospital, you told me about a guy named Heero. You said he'd jump off anything and he had to be a robot because nobody sets their own leg without flinching."

He could see Duo falter. "I did?"

"Yes, you told me stories about him all the time and about your other friends, too. You really don't know him?"

"Did someone put you up to this Priss?"

"No," she cried.

"What about Quatre, Trowa, or Wu Fei? Do you know them?" Heero asked.

"No."

"And your son, Rhys?"

"Now you're making shit up. I don't have a kid. I'd know if I had a kid."

Heero dug into his pockets again this time pulling out a rumpled and worn photo. It was a copy of the intake photo of Kitten from the hospital after the Auction raid. It was the only photo Heero had of Kitten and he hoped it was enough to convince Duo of the truth.

"This is him. His name is Rhys Dilandau Maxwell, but he goes by Kitten. You told me you named him Rhys because Cromm Cruach would give him a complex."

Duo gingerly took the photo, staring at it with a mixture of awe and confusion. "It's the human name of a death deity from a series I read." He looked to Priss. "You let me borrow the book you had with you."

She moved from behind Heero to Duo's side looking down at the photo. "He looks just like you."

"Duo, I'm going to take Priscel to the Preventors headquarters where she'll be protected and kept safe. You need to come with me."

"No. I need to go back to G. He'll…he'll explain it to me. I must have hit my head or something. That's why I can't remember."

"Duo, don't go back there. What if Heero's right and Doctor Gervais is messing with your head?"

"He wouldn't do that. He doesn't do that. He helps people like he helped you."

"Why didn't he tell you about your son? Why didn't he remind you?"

"Maybe he doesn't know about him?"

"He knows Duo. He…" Heero paused trying to find the right phrase for such a situation. "He helped bring Kitten into this world."

"I must have told him not to tell me."

"Why are you defending him? He's lying to you! Hiding things from you!" Priscel yelled as if she were channeling Heero.

"I don't know that. I don't know if this guy is for real, if you haven't been tricked or coerced into lying to me. Maybe this is exactly why G sent me to find you."

"Or so he could cover his tracks. Duo, the Preventors are good guys. They wouldn't lie to us. We can call. Right, Heero? And they'll tell us that you're really an agent?"

"Yes." Taylor was on standby for such a call.

"Let's call."

"No. I want to talk to G myself."

"Do you know where he is Duo? Where is his lab?"

"It's…" he turned gesturing towards the window with a blank expression. He blinked a few times before turning back. "I don't know. I'm supposed to get Priss and take her back with me but I don't know the way."

Heero watched a dozen emotions and questions chase across Duo's face.

"I need to go."

"Wait," he called grabbed Duo's jacket. He used a trick Duo himself taught him, using sleight of hand to reactivate his transmitter and press it into Duo's pocket. "Where are you planning to go?"

Duo shook his head. "Take her with you. Keep her safe, okay? I gotta find out what's going on."

Heero watched him walk away wanting nothing more than to grab him and drag him back to HQ where he could keep him safe from Gervais. The urge was overwhelming in fact, he found himself moving after Duo, but thoughts of Kitten stopped him. If he didn't find Gervais, he couldn't save Kitten.

"Duo, please, don't go," Priscel begged.

Duo turned back. "Where is he? My kid?"

Heero didn't answer right away. Telling Duo the truth could make his plan at catching Gervais tonight a bust but…

"If you're telling the truth, don't start lying to me now."

"He was kidnapped by a man named Murai. Gervais knows him and he's the key to catching him and bringing Kitten home safely."

"Preventors HQ, right? That's where you'll be?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'm going to get G. I'll see you there."

###

"I'm sorry to call you in so late at night," Heero said to Doctor Walker as she entered his office. Yates made sure to reassure him a dozen or so times that it was still in fact his office, that he was a commander with a team of his own and that he had the full backing of the Preventors and its resources at his disposal. While a small part of him appreciated Yates efforts, a larger part still stung from the betrayal. Trust would be hard to come by for a while.

"It's no problem at all, Commander. You said you wanted me to sit in on an interview?"

"Yes." He rose from behind his desk leading Dr. Walker out of his office. Priscel was waiting in one of the many interrogations room. He was tempted to start the interview long before Walker arrived but he couldn't be sure if what he learned from the girl was truth or lies planted by Gervais. He was still reeling from his encounter with Duo and while he waited for Walker, he spent the time following Duo's transmitter. So far, the other man seemed to be walking the streets of L1 with no certain destination in sight. It was his hope that Gervais would make a move soon.

"I have a witness to Duo's accident leading up to his meeting Gervais and possibly the first few weeks of their partnership." He stopped in the middle of the hall and Walker paused beside him. "Duo was there when I went looking for her. I think Gervais sent Duo to recover her and possibly erase her memories of that time."

"Why do you believe that?"

"Duo had no idea who I was, or his son Kitten, or even where Gervais was. He only knew his instructions to bring Priscel back with him."

"Where is Duo now?"

"Wandering the streets for Gervais."

'Is that wise?"

"I'm hoping to track Gervais through Duo."

"I see."

"For now I'm hoping to get a better understanding of what happened."

"And you would like me to observe her behavior to gauge if she shares some of the same characteristics as Duo did during my interview with him?"

"Yes, and if possible tell me if she's lying or holding back."

"That isn't one of my specialties but I'll do all that I can."

They continued down the hall to the open doorway where Gemmell and Priscel were talking animatedly about the girl's ballet performance. Gemmell was once again out of full uniform wearing just the army green button-down, navy tie and slacks. She leaned against the wall opposite Priscel smiling with ease.

"We were just to the part where I kiss the prince when Duo showed up."

"I bet he was cute too."

"Yes," Priscel wailed. "I was so looking forward to it."

"Maybe we can get you a do-over. We can call your school and say the Preventors want to see your ballet."

"That would be great."

"Priscel," Heero said interrupting the two before Gemmell made her any more promises. "This is Dr. Rose Walker. I asked her to sit in while we talk. Agent Gemmell will also stay as a witness."

It was unnecessary to keep Gemmell in the room but he noticed Priscel's hesitant eyes flicks. She was afraid of him or at least his appearance.

They moved to sit across from the girl. Her side of the table was littered with sequins and glitter that she peeled from her face while waiting for Heero's return. The silver decorations brought out her bright blue eyes and pale skin making her look ethereal under the fluorescent lighting.

"I want to reassure you that you are not in any trouble and you're not in any danger. I just want us to talk about what happened four years ago."

"Um, okay."

"Do you have any questions?"

"No."

"Then start with the accident."

"Okay. Well, um, I was on my way home from ballet practice. I remember taking the crosswalk. It was me and a few other people. All of a sudden I heard screaming and I remember hurting and the next thing I knew I was in the hospital."

"Do you know what hurt you?"

She lowered her head. "I know it was Duo. He told me himself when I woke up. He was sitting by my bed. I remember he so bloody and his arm didn't look right. He wouldn't let the doctors near him, he kept telling them not to help him until they fixed me. He even punched a nurse in the face who tried to sedate him."

So far, her story was consistent with everything Hilde told him about the accident, but he was hoping for more. She knew something more than Hilde did if Gervais was willing to risk Duo to capture her.

"Tell me about your leg."

She hesitated, picking at the sequins on her face. "The doctors tried to save it but they said the damage was too severe. I think I cried for a whole hour."

"Because you wouldn't be able to dance?" Walker asked.

"Yeah. I know they have prosthetic legs, I mean I knew it then but it just didn't click. I couldn't dance if I didn't have my legs, you know?"

"Is that where Gervais came in?"

"Yeah. He talked to Duo. I saw them outside my door, and then Duo came to talk to me. He said that Gervais had a way to fix everything and he wanted me to give it a shot. He said he'd go with me and make sure nothing bad happened."

"And you agreed."

"Yeah."

"How did they get you out of the hospital?"

"They wheeled my bed into an ambulance and drove off."

"You didn't tell your parents?"

"No. I knew they wouldn't understand and Gervais said that we needed to move quickly. He was persistent about it; like he had a deadline to keep and he didn't want either of us to talk to anyone about it."

"Tell me what happened when you got to the lab."

"Gervais started giving me injections. He said it was different reptile DNA to make my leg grow back."

"Did he explain the process to you at all?"

"Not really. I don't think he wanted to waste time explaining the details to a thirteen year old girl, but Duo asked a million questions."

"So Duo stayed close to you?"

"Right next to me. He never left my side. Not for a second. I don't think he even slept."

"Why did he stay so close to you? Were you afraid of Gervais?"

She peeled another sequin away, pinching it between her teeth. "A little. I didn't like how he touched me."

"He touched you?"

"Not like that! He never even looked at me like that. It's just, it was like I wasn't a real person. I was a thing, his experiment and he'd touch my leg like it was a prize, like he'd won a new car. Me and Duo were creeped out by it but what he was doing was working."

"Did he ever put you into a tank?"

"Ugh, yes, I hated that thing. It sucked going in and coming out but Duo was there and listening to his stories made it bearable."

"Duo talked to you while you were inside the tank?"

"Yes. He told me a lot about you. Did you really blow yourself?"

"Unfortunately."

"You really are indestructible."

He ignored Lucy's chuckle and pushed on. "How long did it take for your leg to grow back?"

"About a month and a half? I'm not really sure. We never went outside and there was no TV or calendar."

"Once you were healed, what happened next?"

"I did some therapy to get used to my new leg. It didn't take very long, after a few days it felt like I'd never lost it. I could walk, run and pirouette"

"And Duo?"

She frowned, fidgeting in her seat. "He got sick. He wouldn't let Gervais treat him until I was okay. He was falling apart, literally."

"What do you mean literally?"

"His arm just fell off one day. It was turning all black and green. I begged him to let Gervais help him but he said it was his fault I was hurt and he'd suffer until I was whole again."

"And after you were?"

"Gervais put him in a tank and sent me home."

"Just like that?"

"Yeah. Ithink he couldn't wait to get rid of me. I shouldn't have left. I should have stayed with Duo like he stayed with me."

"Priscel, what's happened to Duo since you left was not your fault. From the sound of it, Duo would have done what it took to see you safe at home."

"Yeah but he doesn't even remember his best friend or his own son."

"But he's alive and that's more important than anything else."

"You're right."

"Before tonight, did you see Duo after you left?"

"No. I was happy to see that he was okay. I worried about him."

"Was there anything else going on while you were in Gervais' care? Was he working on any experiments that you know of? Did you see anyone else in his lab?"

"He had a few assistants and every now and again business men would come by."

"Business men?"

"Well I don't know if they were business men but they were wearing suits and they were rich. I know one of them; I mean I've seen him on TV a lot."

"Who?"

"Quatre Winner." The shock and surprise didn't register. He was past feeling such emotions when it came to the secrets his 'friends' kept from him. Deep down he knew Quatre was involved with Gervais. That level of anger and resentment was too sudden and forceful for a man he claimed to have never met.

"Are you sure it was him?"

"Yeah, everyone knows his face."

"Was Duo there when you met him?"

"No. That was one of the only times I was ever away from Duo." That reassured him somewhat, that Quatre had no part in Gervais' schemes to use Duo.

"What did Quatre have to say?"

"He was impressed with what Gervais was doing and agreed to help fund him."

"And the other men did they say the same?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think you could remember the others if you saw pictures of them?"

"I think so."

"That's good. I want you to stay here in HQ until we have everything sorted out."

He rose from his seat with Walker following suit.

"You're going to help Duo right? And get his son back?"

"Finding Duo's son is our main priority and I plan to get Duo-" He stopped at the sound of Gemmell's phone ringing. All eyes turned to the blushing red head as she dug into her pocket.

"Sorry, sorry. Hello?"

Her eyes widened. "Heero, it's-"

"Lucy?"

She didn't answer and he knew without a doubt something was wrong. The feeling was like a hand squeezing on his chest waiting to crush him. The muffled voice on the other end sounding like a death knell.

He watched her face smooth over and the light go out of her eyes. Her shoulders slumped, her body going lax and passive.

"Yes, sir."

She snapped the phone shut, tucking it into her coat pocket with slow deliberate movements. Heero called to her again and she raised unfocused green eyes, pulled her sidearm and fired.

###

Thanks for reading and please, please review.


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